Simple Tomato Pasta

This is my go-to pasta when I want something quick and fresh for dinner. I usually have all the ingredients on hand, and the pasta comes together in the time it takes to cook.

Ingredients

1lb of pasta of choice. I like angel hair pasta

1 cup of dry vermouth

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 shallot, minced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

2 cloves of garlic minced

Fresh basil

red pepper flakes

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Grated cheese of choice

Directions

Place a pot of salted water over high heat to cook the pasta.

While the water is heating, place a large, deep skillet over medium-high and drizzle with olive oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add shallots, red pepper flakes, and seasoning, and saute until tender, for about 2 minutes. Next, add tomatoes; at this time, the water should have started to boil. Add pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package.

Reduce the skillet heat to medium and simmer for half the time the pasta needs to cook. At the halfway mark, add the garlic, saute for 30 seconds, and add the vermouth and the lemon zest; increase heat to medium-high. Once it just starts to boil, reduce heat to medium and let simmer undisturbed for the remaining time the pasta needs to cook.

Drain the pasta and reserve a cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet with half the lemon juice, toss, and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for about a minute. If the skillet looks a bit dry, add some of the pasta water and toss before covering.

Plate place pasta on a plate, sprinkle with chopped basil and cheese and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

Note: Depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes, they sometimes completely break down, and sometimes just soften, as shown in the picture.