Pasta With Sun Gold Tomatoes

This is a Mario Batali recipe that uses Sun Gold tomatoes, a sweet variety of cherry tomato to make this dish. Any good cherry or grape tomatoes, or a chopped large tomato will work.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 8  ounces cherry tomatoes, preferably Sun Gold
• 2  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•  kosher salt
• 6  ounces  capellini, spaghetti or 6  ounces bucatini pasta
• 3⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8  medium fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Directions

1. Heat 3 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic and red pepper flakes, season with salt, and cook, covered slightly and swirling pan often, until tomatoes blister and burst, 10-12 minutes. Press down on tomatoes to release their juices. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Season with salt; add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until about 2 minutes before tender. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.
3. Transfer pasta to skillet with tomatoes; set over high heat. Add 1/2 cup pasta water. Cook, stirring and tossing often, until sauce thickens and begins to coat the pasta, about 1 minute. Stir in remaing oil, cheese, and half the basil and toss until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry. Add remaining basil, season with salt.