Spaghetti with crushed tomatoes
I was asked by the lovely Olga from Mango and Tomato to write a guestblog for the time when she will be on holiday…. Ofcourse with a blog called Mango and tomato, it would be fun to choose a dish with either mango or tomato (or both) in them. Now I love both those ingredients so not such a very hard task. Plus – since I am on a diet – tomatoes are a perfect choice as there is hardly any calories in them… 
I had recently bought the new book from Donna Hay, “No time to cook” and while I did have time to cook, I figured today would be the perfect day to try one of the recipes and see if it really would be as quick as no cooking. The title is actually a little misleading; if you’re thinking you’re buying a book with all sort of recipes that require no cooking at all, then you should be buying something else. It does require cooking but it’s just very quick. What I also like about the book is that most of the recipes are for two. Saves me all those calculations I always have to do…
Ingredients
Tom is gonna be home late today, so I can easily make this twice; it is that fast. With spaghetti I prefer to make it fresh since that simply tastes the best.
Now one little word of warning; the recipe wants you to bruise all the cherry tomatoes. Removing the pits and some of the inside juices apparently is meant to enhance the flavour. So I faithfuly set about doing just that; now tomatoes have a funny way of behaving when you pinch a really ripe tomato! The proof is all over my kitchen! lol… So be careful when you want to make this, as even being careful doesn’t prevent the odd flying tomato- sauce!
The only thing that needed boiling for this recipe was the spaghetti, but that is not really work at all. Except for the garlic, no other cutting is required and it’s literally done and on the table in about 10-15 minutes. Really really simple and quite tasty. I would add probably a little bit of maybe smoked chicken in there for next time, or little bits of ham. Just to spice it up a little bit.
I like my pasta to be simple, with really not a lot of ingredients and this was a perfect example of a good pasta with minimum effort.
Spaghetti with bruised tomatoes (from Donna Hay; No time to cook) serves 2
200 gr spaghetti
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
fresh basil
500 gr cherry tomatoes (I used honey cherry tomatoes, which are lovely and sweet)
seasalt
30 gr of butter
Cook the spaghetti in about 10-12 minutes. Chop up the garlic and squish the tomatoes so part of the juice and the seeds are removed. In a pan heat the butter (or use olive oil if you prefer) and add the garlic, balsamic and cherry tomatoes and heat them through untill the tomatoes become warm and a little bit soft. Once the spaghetti is cooked, add to the tomato-balsamic mixture and add fresh basil. Serve.
I added parmezan as no pasta is complete without a little sprinkle of cheese (or so I think) but add whatever you like to this, as it’s a perfect base recipe.
Enjoy!
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I can just imagine all those tomatoes bursting! Do you think it was worth the effort to harass and beat those delicate little tomatoes? If so let me know, I’ll give mine a good thrashing!
Well….. hmmmm, was it worth it? To be honest… I don’t think so. It was quick, so in that sense it’s easier then grilling them, but I like them slow roasted in the oven as to me that brings out the flavours much better. So, if you’re looking for a quick taste enhancer molest the poor little tomatoes, if not; just do a little grilling instead!
This looks fantastic! Cannot wait to post this on my site: Thank you so much for being my guest blogger
I think I would have just cut the tomatoes in half instead of squishing them.
Cutting them in half wouldn’t release the seeds and some of the juice as that was the thing that the squishing is supposed to do…
It does work, it’s just a bit messy!
Yummy summer pasta dish. Everything you post is just so summery….I love it!
It can only be you that can turn 3 ingredients(4 with the cheese)and turn it into something so spectacular!!!
Haha, tomatoes can be devilish indeed! As you say, they don’t like to be pinched!
This looks so good… I’m craving pasta dishes these days, but I can’t have dairy for a while (minor health issue) and, as you say, no pasta dish is complete without at least a little cheese. So I’d rather wait until my treatment is over and then celebrate with a spectacular plate of all-dressed pasta! In the meantime, bon appétit to you!
Looks lovely! I love spaghetti!!
This is my kind of summer dinner/lunch. Delicious and easy to make. BTW, in that pancakes picture, the white stuff is condensed milk, the best way to eat pancakes :-p
I love your pics! And your dish sounds amazing!
I too enjoy simple recipes Simone…and this really screams simplicity. Fresh tomatoes and pasta cannot be beaten!
I love this recipe!! although I think I might have to do it with the leftover penne I have…
My first here, & I am just blown away with the pictures & the recipes.
This spaghetti is the best kind, my kind for a summer evening! Fresh, flavorful colorful & easy to make! I have subscribed to your feed.
Such a simple and flavourful dish! Delicious!
I don’t like tomato, but that looks really good! I wonder if doing it that way would make a difference for me. I would use olive oil I think, over butter. Smoked chicken sounds lovely too! Yum, I’m hungry now!
If you have time, cook up a haiku for me for tomorrow, will you?! My birthday is tomorrow, and for a present I want you to come and submit a haiku for Silly Haiku Wednesday! Please.
It’s easy, I swear!
Have a fabulous day!
I always love Donna Hay’s books, and this dish looks like a winner. It’s so pretty with the fresh tomatoes.
Simple meals are sometimes the best! This is so fresh and delicious looking!
This blue cloth is fantastic with red/orange foods!
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And THIS… looks amazing. Not only are the photos fabulous, but I can just taste all of those fresh flavors. One of my favorite things to do in the summer months is to roast little cherry tomatoes… pan cooking them is a nice, simple (and cooler) method.
This is summer in a bowl…i just adore it’s freshness and the lightness of it.
How perfect, I just bought a bunch of little tomatoes with no specific dish in mind for them. This one certainly sounds enticing!
I actually said ‘mmmmm’ out loud when I saw this delightful pasta dish!! Perfection.