Pasta With Oven-Dried Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- #For The Pasta#
- 500g / 1 lb linguine
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves, stemmed and chopped coarsely
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- #For The Dressing#
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, thyme and basil
- 2 garlic cloves, quartered
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups oven-dried cherry tomatoes, lightly packed
- #For Garnish#
- 10 or more fresh basil leaves, chopped fine just before serving
Instructions
- #Slow roasting gives tomatoes an intense flavor. Use them in salads as well as in any other dish. I usually oven dry two large trays of cherry tomatoes and freeze what I don’t need.# Oven-dry your cherry tomatoes the day before or early in the morning. Then make the dressing. Warm the olive oil over low heat.
- Add dried herbs and garlic. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Pour everything into a bowl and cool completely. Soak all of the dried tomatoes in the oil. Let rest until you are busy with other preparations.
- Meanwhile boil some water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Immediately add prepared spinach leaves. The baby spinach leaves will wilt when mixed with the hot pasta but also retain a fresh color and a crisp bite.
- Drain half the oil from the tomatoes and save for another use. Spoon sauce into pasta along with cheese. Taste and season to your taste.
- Sprinkle some toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh basil leaves over pasta. Serve immediately passing more freshly grated Parmesan cheese around.
- What can go better with this dish than a bottle of robust red wine!! Cheers!!