Bursting with the flavours of summer, this easy pasta can be made in one pot. If you don’t have an oven, you can roast the tomatoes on a toaster oven, or omit this step, halve the cherry tomatoes and add them raw.
Serves 2
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes or small whole tomatoes no larger than a golf ball
1 tbsp olive oil
sprinkle of coarse salt
¼ cup pine nuts
225 g spaghettini pasta
1 handful of fresh basil leaves (no stems), coarsely chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup black olives, pitted or unpitted – your choice
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped or minced
2 tbsp (approx.) olive oil
salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a shallow casserole dish with oil. Add the whole tomatoes, olive oil and sprinkle of coarse salt. Toss and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the skins just start to split.
In the same hot oven, toast the pine nuts on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghettini and cook about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and add in the roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, chopped basil leaves, feta cheese, black olives, finely chopped garlic and the olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt.
Using tongs, toss the pasta well, bruising the tomatoes to release some of their juices. Divide between two bowls and serve while warm.
