Fresh Tomato-Basil & Garlic Linguine

One of my all time favorite things to eat is pasta!  I love Italian food as a whole but especially pasta.  I bought some fresh herb linguine at the farmer's market this week.  Because it's more expensive (about $2.00 a person), it's real treat!  Seeing as I've only made it for my husband and and I, it's a luxury that easier to afford every once in a while.

The freshness of it makes it more tender and SO delicious!  There's a big difference from the usual dried kind.

Tonight I wanted to use it in a way the pasta shines through.  I didn't want to smother quality pasta in a heavy sauce, so I made one of my go-to easy and scrumptious pasta recipes!

This recipe only has 5 main ingredients: pasta, grape tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and onion.  Everything was cooked in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and butter, seasoned simply wth salt and freshly ground pepper and finished with grated Parmesan cheese.  You can always add more like crushed red pepper, olives or mushrooms for even more flavor.  I came up with this "recipe" myself, so it's a loose one that can be tweaked to your liking. I used a lot of garlic, but it really makes it savory and the basil gives it a sweet burst of freshness! This dish would be delicious with crust bread on the side!  

Simple, easy, fresh, and lovely.

It's a fast meal to make and easy to make for just a couple of people or a whole table full!  This beautiful Tomato-Basil Linguine will make you look like a home chef!

Fresh Tomato-Basil & Garlic Linguine

Serves 2

2 servings of linguine, fresh if available, cooked 

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 

Bunch of fresh basil (about 20-25 leaves)

4 Cloves garlic, thinly sliced (minced, if good but whatch to make sure it doesn't burn.)

1/4 c. Red onion, sliced thinly

Extra virgin olive oil

Butter

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, add approx. 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. butter.  

Add the onion and cook for a minute.  

Add the tomatoes and some salt, and cook for another minute. 

Add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes until everything comes together and the tomatoes are softened and onions are tender.

Pour in the cooked linguine, the rest of the basil, and add about 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper and salt to taste.

Divide up in bowls, and finish with a little more cheese and pepper, and a sprig of basil.

Enjoy!