Spaghetti with Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Garlic Chives, and Lemon Basil
A fantastic easy recipe adapted from Mario Batali's Babbo cookbook.
A fantastic easy recipe adapted from Mario Batali's Babbo cookbook.
- Carbohydrate 87.6311775 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 15.37109 g
- Fiber 4.59037508642674 g
- Protein 15.5257125 g
- Saturated Fat 2.199805 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (205g)
- Sodium 50.0765 mg
- Sugar 83.0408024135733 g
- Trans Fat 0.974610000000002 g
- Calories 553 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil.
- In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Lower the heat to medium-high and add the garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes, or until softened and slightly browned. Add the tomatoes, chives, and basil and cook over high heat until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until it is tender yet al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the tomatoes. Toss over high heat for 1 minute, then divide evenly among four warmed pasta bowls and serve immediately.
- Garnish with additional chives.
Why are my tomatoes floating in watery broth instead of clinging to the noodles? Halfway through tossing pasta with fresh summer produce, many cooks realize too late that excessive moisture ruins the dish. Achieving the right consistency depends entirely on managing heat and timing starch integration correctly.
- Slice the four garlic cloves uniformly thin so they brown evenly within two minutes on medium-high heat without burning into bitterness.
- Heat the quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil in a wide 12- to 14-inch sauté pan until it approaches the smoking point before introducing the aromatics.
- Keep the heat high when the tomatoes, chives, and basil hit the pan, ensuring the tomato skins split quickly to release juices without stewing the flesh.
- Toss the drained spaghetti directly in the hot pan with the sauce for exactly one minute so the starches bind the oil and tomato juices into a cohesive emulsion.
Prepared pasta dishes containing fresh herbs and raw-cut tomatoes do not tolerate freezing or prolonged refrigeration well, as the delicate leaves discolor and the high moisture content breaks down the noodle structure upon reheating. Consume this preparation immediately after tossing for optimal textural contrast.
