Summer is upon us and it is  time to lighten up a little on our recipes. Well, at least for today. (I have an amazing mac-n-cheese recipe coming soon – sorry!)

I was short on time tonight for dinner and did not have the time to stop at the grocery store. I looked in my refrigerator and saw that I had some tomatoes-on-the-vine. I always have plenty of pasta at home, so I decided to combine the two.

I made this simple pasta dish using the ingredients I had in my pantry. Of course I added my usual lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Needless to say, this dish took almost no time to prepare. It’s simplicity made it appealing, and I will be making this many more times this summer, especially when the tomatoes in my vegetable garden start to ripen.

This is a fabulous way to get a delicious meal on the table quickly. The cooked tomatoes, combined with the lemon zest, juice and red pepper flakes dance a beautiful waltz in your mouth. This is a memorable side dish that will add some elegance to any main dish. It will make your meal elegant and forever enshrined in your mind.

This Tomato Pasta will serve 4-5 people who will be thrilled to be eating it!

Ingredients for Tomato Pasta

8 ounces pappardelle pasta (or any kind you have at home)
4 medium tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan-Reggiano

Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. 

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Toss in the tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice salt and pepper. 

Cook for about 5 minutes or less, or until you see the tomatoes just begin to soften.

Add mixture to the pasta and toss to coat.

Sprinkle with Parmesan-Reggiano cheese.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm.

It’s that simple!