Every once in a while, a recipe--like this one--sweeps through social media with a frenzy. This recipe originated on the Martha Stewart website and was posted, pinned, shared, tagged and shared again. We were skeptics. Nine minutes total cooking time? Where does the water go? Wouldn't the pasta get mushy? Would the finished product be photo-worthy? In the end, this recipe lives up to the hype. We've even started plans for adapting this recipe with different flavors and ingredients. This dish comes together very quickly making it perfect for busy weeknights. It's also very forgiving...use canned tomatoes and dried basil if you don't have fresh. We also love that teens can easily get this started after school...for teens whose after-school snack is more of a meal. This is a definite for your must-try list!
Adapted from marthastewart.com
Ingredients:
12 ounces linguine (*see note)
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbl Tuscan Blend (*see note)
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 Tbl Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for serving
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups water
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
Combine pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, Tuscan Blend, basil, Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 teaspoons salt and water in a large straight-sided skillet or stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs, until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Serve with a drizzle of Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmesan.
*A note about the pasta...Hearty linguine and fettucine are good choices for this dish. Penne would work well, too. More delicate pasta shapes like Angel Hair will cook too quickly and get mushy. Also, be sure to check your package for the weight. Pasta is often packaged as one pound (16 oz). You will need to measure out 12 oz for this recipe and reserve the remaining four oz for another use.
*A note about the spices...we used Tuscan Blend in this version. We love this blend for its zingy sun-dried tomatoes and lemon combined with Mediterranean herbs and spices. Other Italian Blends would work well here. Our salt-free Italian Seasoning and Vegetable and Pizza Seasoning would work well in this dish.