Tomatoes to die for.

Tomato season is here. From now until early fall, the farmers market is full of beautiful sun golds, heirlooms and cherries on the vine. They are the bright spot in every salad, the elixir of sandwiches and turn any pasta dish into nothing short of a miracle.

This weekend I threw together a spaghetti dish with small tomatoes, garlic and basil. The inspiration came from Joshua McFadden’s book, Six Seasons, where he shows you how to coax something amazing from a few simple ingredients. It’s comes together in a flash. Just cook your pasta to two minutes short of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain and set aside a cup of the pasta water to add when adding the cooked tomatoes to the pasta.

First, slice a couple of cloves of garlic until golden, about five minutes at a low heat, then add half basket of cherry tomatoes to the oil. Cook 5-8 minutes. When the tomatoes start to break open, take the pan off the heat and smash all of the tomatoes with the back of a spoon. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes and and the heat to low to thicken the sauce. Add the pasta, a cup of pasta water and turn the heat to medium.

Add the rest of the tomatoes and the pasta to the pan and stir until the pasta soaks up the sauce and the new tomatoes are warm. Add the remaining basil and olive oil. Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until everything is completely mixed. Adjust seasonings and shower with a handful of Parmesan.

Spaghetti al fresco with green beans