15-Minute Tomato Pasta

This tomato pasta is a quick 15-minute dinner! The no-cook tomato sauce is made with cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and almonds, which give the sauce a creamy texture. You just pop it all in the blender, puree it, and then toss it with hot pasta for a quick and easy dinner full of fresh flavors.

About this time ten years ago I made a tomato pasta that I found in an issue of Cook’s Illustrated. It was a revelation at the time because it was a quick no-cook sauce and the combination of fresh tomatoes with almonds was a pairing I would never have tried on my own. It was an easy pasta dish full of fresh flavor and even now, years later, I still think about it.

Fast forward to earlier this year and I once again tried a new sauce made with tomatoes and nuts, but this time it was cashews. It was a recipe I found on Pinch of Yum and it, too, was a revelation. In this case, unlike the Cook’s Illustrated version (which was more of a tomato pesto with a lot of texture), the Pinch of Yum sauce was impossibly creamy without any real cream. It, too, was a no-cook sauce. At the time, I was so smitten with this easy pasta recipe, I shared it in my weekly newsletter.

So, with a bounty of garden tomatoes on hand, I thought I might take the best of both and create my own tomato pasta dish. I borrowed the 2009 tomato/almond flavor combo from the magazine and the technique of pureeing the sauce until it’s smooth and creamy from the recipe I found online this year.

The result? A creamy tomato pasta full of fresh summer flavors that is ready to go in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

INGREDIENTS FOR TOMATO PASTA

• Bucatini or other long pasta
• Garlic
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced almonds
• Basil leaves
• Parsley
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil

I love bucatini, which is pasta that is similar to spaghetti but is thicker and hollow inside. Of course, any long pasta like fettuccine or linguini will work for this tomato pasta.

This sauce is all about the tomatoes so if you can get your hands on some garden tomatoes or some from the farmer’s market you won’t be disappointed. If you can’t, I find grocery store cherry tomatoes taste pretty good year-round.

The almonds serve two purposes in the sauce. First, they give it a subtle nutty flavor like nuts in a pesto does. Second, when pureed, the almonds break down and give the sauce a very creamy texture. It’s a great way to make a creamy sauce with no dairy.

HOW TO MAKE THE SAUCE

While the pasta is boiling you can prep and make the sauce. Because you’re using the blender or food processor to make the sauce there’s very little prep work!

• Smash the garlic with your knife and remove the papery skin. Pop it in the blender or food processor followed by the tomatoes. If your tomatoes are big, you might want to half or quarter them first.
• Add the basil, parsley, and cheese to the blender or food processor, secure the lid and pulse a few times to break down the tomatoes.
• With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Continuing processing until the sauce thickens and is smooth.
• Drain the cooked pasta and transfer it back to the pot you cooked it in. Add the sauce and toss it all together until the pasta is evenly coated.

I like to garnish the tomato pasta with grated parsley and chopped herbs. Serve it up with a big salad on the side and you got yourself a fresh end-of-summer dinner that takes all of 15 minutes to make. That’s a winner in my book.

The post 15-Minute Tomato Pasta appeared first on Girl Gone Gourmet.