Lemon Tomato Pasta: Sunshine in a bowl!
This bright and tasty dish is packed with flavor and is super simple to make. If you’re a lazy cook, or simply short on time, this recipe is for you. You can whip lemon tomato pasta up in under a half hour and for that reason, it will certainly become a weeknight staple in your house. It’s even tastier the next day!
Lemony Tomato Pasta to The Rescue
Let’s say you’re plugging through your day, when you’re struck with an awful pang in your stomach. No, it’s not a tumor, you just haven’t eaten since lunch time. You look up at the clock and your jaw hits the floor. It’s something like elevendy o’clock and you haven’t given a thought to dinner.
If you have children and/or a significant other, you discover they’ve taken to eating crayons and sauteing their shoes. You open the fridge to find a 30 year old bottle of barbecue sauce (that miraculously is still good) and a single pickle floating in a cloudy jar. MacGyver couldn’t even do anything with this.
With balled fists to the sky you cry, “What the he%% am I making for dinner?” Don’t worry, we’ve got this.
Instant Remedy
On the counter, you spy a few ready-to-go tomatoes and a use-it-or-lose-it lemon. Inspiration strikes as forcefully as the realization that tomorrow is laundry day and you’re currently wearing your last pair of clean socks.
Since you have a well-stocked pantry, you always have some pasta, garlic and onions on hand. Armed with your pantry staples and this recipe, you go with fresh tomatoes and zesty lemon with some onions and garlic. They make for a quick and very flavorful sauce. Boil up some pasta and –badda bing -dinner in less than 30 minutes.
Let’s do this.
Have a great meal!
Tracy from Real Not Perfect
Pasta with Lemony Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- pasta pot
- saute pan
- strainer
- knife
- cutting board
- zester or microplane
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped medium
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 plum tomatoes chopped course (approx 1 lb 9 oz)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest from one lemon using a microplane or zester
- 3 tbsp lemon juice from one lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh basil rough chopped or chiffonade (or 1 tsp dried basil)
- 1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth ***see note below
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb pasta
- *** Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water if you don't have broth
Instructions
- Boil the water for pasta. Begin cooking the pasta in boiling water seasoned with 1 tbsp Kosher salt. Cook pasta according to the package directions. While pasta is cooking, start the sauce. ***When pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water when straining approximately 1/2 cup (see note below).
- In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions with 2 generous pinches of kosher salt. Cook until translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, around 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add the tomatoes and about 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper (about 10 turns of the peppermill) and saute stirring frequently. The tomatoes should look like they're softening a bit while still retaining their shape.
- After about 4 minutes, add the lemon zest and broth (or pasta water if using). Lower the heat to medium low and continue to simmer and stir occasionally.
- After about 6-7 minutes, add lemon juice and basil when the tomatoes are cooked but still chunky. Stir the simmering sauce for about 1 minute more. Check for seasonings and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot over warm pasta. Top with more fresh basil leaves and parmesan cheese, if desired.
- ***Note: If you don't have vegetable or chicken broth on hand, you can use the pasta water instead. You may need a little more salt if you use this option. Just taste it and adjust your seasonings accordingly. ***You can also use a splash of the reserved pasta water or extra broth to loosen up the tomatoes if you prefer your sauce a little more loose.
