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By Irene Welker The inspiration for this dish is the bounty from my cherry tomato and basil plants which continued to produce well into September. This fresh and light entrée is deeply satisfying, simple to make and fancy enough to serve to guests. Bonus: the dish can be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. If you happen to have company near Halloween it can also be called… Serves 3-4. Time: 30 minutes. Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Ingredients: • Kosher Salt, divided • ½ pound pasta, such as thin spaghetti, angel hair, or capellini • ¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil, or more if needed to cover bottom of pan • 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves) • 1 ½ pints cherry or grape tomatoes • ½ Cup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 1 Tablespoon chopped for garnish, if desired • ½ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes • ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar, optional • 1 to 1 ½ Cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided Directions: Bring a large pot of water (4 quarts) to a rolling boil. Add about 2 Tablespoons salt. Bring the water back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain pasta (do not rinse), reserving about ¼ cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside. While the water is coming to a boil, heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, ½ cup of the basil, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened and begin to burst and release their juices 5 to 8 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings, if needed. Stir in desired amount of sugar if sauce is too tart. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes to thicken sauce a bit. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta and toss. If the pasta seems dry add some of the reserved pasta water a few Tablespoons at a time until desired consistency. Sauce should be thick enough to cling to the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining Tablespoon of chopped basil over the pasta and serve with the remaining Parmesan cheese on the side. Enjoy! 16 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2021 Goblin Guts & Ruptured Eyeballs

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