Ina Garten Summer Garden Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes - 8 cups/900 g/32 oz halved cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil - ½ cup/118ml high-quality olive oil
- Minced Garlic - 6 garlic cloves/2 tablespoons minced
Basil leaves - 18 large leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving:
- Red pepper flakes - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt - 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Dried angel hair pasta - 1 lb/454 g/16 oz dried angel hair pasta
- Parmesan cheese 1½ cups/170g/6 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
Instructions
For the cherry tomatoes marinade
- Combine the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, minced garlic, julienned basil leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for approximately 4 hours to allow the flavors to meld together.
For the pasta salad
- Note: Cook the pasta a few minutes before serving.
- Boil a large pot of water with added salt (2 tablespoons)
- Cook the pasta until al dente following the package instructions
- Drain the pasta and mix it with the cherry tomatoes marinade.
- Toss in freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves. and gently toss to combine everything together.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and basil leaves according to your taste preferences.
- Cook the angel hair pasta al dente to maintain its delicate texture.
- Toss the pasta salad just before serving to ensure the flavors are evenly distributed.
- Allow the salad to chill in the refrigerator for a few hours to enhance the flavors.
- Use ripe and flavorful cherry tomatoes for the best results.