Quick Tomato, Basil & Garlic Pasta Dinner

By jsides

We make this all the time when we just need to throw together something quick. It is very satisfying with a dinner salad and a nice glass of wine. It is really important that you use fresh, tasty cherry tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne rigate
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or more if you love garlic like I do)
• 1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (approximately 1.5 cups)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more if you like spicy things)
• salt and black pepper
• grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

1 Cook pasta according to directions on package. 2 While the pasta is cooking, saute the garlic and the red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat. 3 Don't let the garlic get brown. 4 After 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. 5 When pasta is done cooking and has been drained, add in the tomato mixture, add in basil and mix well. 6 Add salt& pepper as you like, and serve topped with parmesan.