Description
Angel hair pasta is tossed with cherry tomatoes, basil, olives, garlic and lemon for a wonderful fresh summer pasta with no-cook sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved (if very large, cut them into quarters)
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons small capers
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oi
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces of angel hair pasta, capellini or thin spaghetti (the thinner the better)
- 5 ounces soft goat cheese at room temperature, from a log or crumbles
- ¾ cup slivered fresh basil leaves, divided
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. While it comes to a boil, prepare the sauce ingredients.
- In a large serving bowl combine the tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and half the basil. Toss well.
- Cook pasta al dente* which will take just a few minutes so watch carefully.
- Scoop out about a cup of the pasta cooking water just before you drain it.
- As soon as the pasta is tender but still has some bite, drain it in a colander. Then immediately add the hot pasta to the bowl with the tomato-goat cheese mixture. Using 2 large forks, toss the mixture until thoroughly combined. Thin with a little of the cooking water, if desired.
- Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Scoop any remaining sauce ingredients on top. Garnish with remaining basil. Serve hot with fresh cracked pepper on the side.
Notes
HOW TO COOK ANGEL HAIR PASTA AL DENTE: Angel hair is very delicate and takes only 3-4 minutes to cook. For best results, stand over the pot, stir from time to time to prevent the delicate strands from sticking together. Test for doneness starting after 2 minutes and every minute thereafter. Angel hair will continue to cook a bit even after you drain it, so as soon as it's tender but still has some bite, drain it.
Nutrition Information: The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Category: Pasta, Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Mediterranean