Fresh Tomato Pasta
I really was in a rush the night I made this. I forgot – as I always do – that Tuesday is gym day in Esme’s daycare which means I sit in an empty classroom for half an hour after our usual pick up time, waiting for the group of pink-cheeked kids to thunder in. And she could not possibly be expected to leave without having the water and crackers that they always have after gym time. (Why, oh, why do I forget every week?) Then we had to stop at the store on the way home to pick up a couple of things. So I really was in need of a quickie dinner.
My goal was to make the sauce in the time it took for the water to boil and the spagetti to cook – so, um, about 20 minutes? Sorry, I confess, I didn’t watch to clock too closely. Basically it was as long as an episode of Jungle Junction. “Gotta spin, gotta spin, gotta spin the wheeeeels….”
Ingredients
- 4 pieces good quality bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups 0r so cherry tomatoes
- handful fresh basil, ripped into not-too-small pieces
- 2 or 3 handfuls baby spinach
- 1 500 gram package of wholewheat spagetti
- 2 heaping dessert spoons of ricotta cheese
Method
Put a big pot of water on to boil.
Sautee bacon in a pot or high-sided pan until it begins to brown and crisp, about five minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so
Add the tomatoes and basil.
Cover the pan and let the tomatoes simmer. They'll start splitting and releasing their juices.
Cook spaghetti as per directions on the box
When your pasta is almost ready, throw the spinach over the tomatoes and stir. It will wilt pretty quickly.
Add the ricotta and stir.
Taste and decide if you need a pinch of salt. Ricotta has some salt but tomatoes do really like it.
Drain your pasta and serve in a bowl with a couple of spoons of sauce.
For a couple of weeks I thought Julian was saying Mama. Nice right? Wrong. For him, Mama is anything that tastes good. This dinner was very Mama.
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Hey, thanks for stopping by!
We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
6 Comments
Natalee
January 20, 07:57Yummy I’ll do this one tomorrow night!
Natalee
January 20, 07:58I think the idea that Mama mean anything that tastes good is pretty lovey — and it does mean you! His curls are beautiful.
Dianne
January 20, 09:17This looks great – I’m going to make it tonight and I’ll bet there is plenty of kid love afterwards!! Thanks.
margaret
January 20, 11:10I love the bonus picture of my beautiful grandson. Oh,(as an afterthought) the supper dish looks beautiful too!
Natalee
January 20, 18:23Change of plans I made this tonight with soft feta (what I had) and turkey bacon and it was delish! Thanks!
Roundup: Get You Pasta Dinners Here - Sweet Potato Chronicles
May 04, 08:43[…] Fresh Tomato Pasta: this is your what-the-hell-am-I-making-for-dinner fast meal. And it’s delicous too. […]