Tomato Butter Pasta Recipes

BUTTERY TOMATO SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Heat a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add the basil, garlic, if using, onions and tomatoes and season with salt. Bring to a simmer and let reduce 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 12 to 13 minutes in, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook to al dente.
• Remove the onion halves from the sauce and add a ladle of starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Toss to combine. Serve the pasta topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

CREAMY ONE-POT MUSHROOM AND LEEK PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a wide, deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. When hot, add the olive oil and leeks, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, then stir and cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, another 2 to 3 minutes. (This allows the water from the mushrooms to evaporate, encouraging caramelization.) Add the juice of one lemon half to deglaze the pan and stir to combine.
• Add the pasta and stock; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it. (All pasta shapes and brands will have different cooking times. You want the pasta to be just tender.)
• Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the butter and parsley. Squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon half and stir until butter is melted and dispersed. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, top with ricotta, red-pepper flakes (to taste) and more chopped parsley.

TOMATO-BUTTER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cut ends of the tomato into a large bowl. Discard or compost skins. Grate the butter into the bowl as well. Using the small holes of the box grater, grate the garlic into the bowl. Add the red-pepper flakes, and season generously with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Return the drained pasta to the pot, along with the bowl of grated tomato and butter. Set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and glosses the pasta, 2 to 3 minutes (the sauce will thicken as it sits). Add pasta water as needed to emulsify the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more red-pepper flakes, black pepper, basil and Parmesan as desired.