End-of-Summer Spaghetti with Tomatoes
Throughout the summer, I’ve made variations of this spaghetti – sometimes with whole, blanched tomatoes, and other times with beautifully ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped and tossed through the warm pasta. But my favorite version is this one – it celebrates the last taste of summer with the sweetest cherry tomatoes, almost bursting from the sun's warmth.
While basil is a natural choice for this dish, feel free to use any of your favorite herbs. They’ll all bring their own wonderful flavor!
The recipe
Spaghetti with Tomatoes
- Serves
- 3-4
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for serving)
- 450g cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 8 black olives, unpitted
- 3 anchovy fillets, drained of their oil
- 40g salted capers, rinsed
- 350g spaghetti
- A large handful of herbs, roughly chopped (plus extra for serving)
- Sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes release their juices and collapse. Pit the olives and tear them roughly into the sauce. Add the anchovies and capers, cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens and the anchovies dissolve. Keep warm.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted, boiling water until just before al dente.
- Return the sauce to medium heat and transfer the cooked spaghetti directly from the pot into the sauce using tongs, adding a bit of pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Add the herbs and taste for seasoning: it may not need extra salt. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of fresh herbs.
SpaghettiTomatoSeafood