Mr. Picky and I spent a glorious week on Long Island visiting my parents. My sisters and their children joined us, so the house was lively and full. It felt a bit like summer camp: long days outdoors, plenty of swimming, hammock hangs and neighborhood games, punctuated by a few Euro Cup soccer matches. The kids were constantly on the move — playing ball, swimming or taking turns on the hammock — and the days revolved around meals. Italians tend to linger at the table, so breakfasts stretched into lunches and lunches lasted for hours, perhaps helped along by daily glasses of wine. I finally understand why my parents drink so much espresso.
Whenever I visit, I usually take charge of organizing and cooking the meals, which I genuinely enjoy. The unspoken agreement is that whoever cooks doesn’t clean, and that’s a deal I’m happy to make. Cooking for my family is easy — they’re appreciative and relaxed — and I’m the only one with a picky eater at the table. My sisters’ kids are excellent eaters despite being younger than mine. I kept the menu simple: frittatas, tacos and fresh salads for lunch, and grilled lemon-herb chicken, roasted salmon and abundant vegetable dishes for dinner. My father’s garden supplied an array of berries, herbs and tender greens, which made cooking even more rewarding.
One of my favorite outings while visiting is exploring local natural foods stores. I love comparing what’s on their shelves with what I can find at home. This trip introduced me to several new sprouted grain products. I picked up sprouted spelt flour for pancakes and a sprouted wheat pasta for one dinner. My father tolerates only so much quinoa and millet, so finding sprouted options felt like a happy compromise. Sprouting and soaking grains, nuts and seeds reduces phytic acid, which can inhibit mineral absorption, and it also improves digestibility. The result is a more nourishing and easier-to-digest grain — I’ll write more about sprouting soon.
Even though I enjoyed cooking the week, I didn’t want to spend long hours indoors when the hammock and conversation were calling. That’s why a quick spaghetti with 5-minute cherry tomato sauce was perfect — and it’s one of my favorite pasta dishes. Sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil, garlic and good olive oil are almost impossible to beat. I prefer the lightly cooked sauce to the raw version known as pasta alla checca because gently warming the garlic and tomatoes adds a silky texture and a touch more depth of flavor. The trick is to halve the cherry tomatoes (or use peeled, seeded beefsteak tomatoes) so they release a juicy sauce without evaporating completely.
Pasta with 5-minute Cherry Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
- ¼ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes, about 2 ½ -3 pints, stemmed and halved
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup basil leaves
- Kosher salt for pasta water
- 1 pound whole grain pasta, such as whole wheat or spelt
- Grated parmesan or pecorino-romano cheese, optional
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and, if desired, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Swirl the pan until the garlic is fragrant. When the garlic just begins to turn golden at the edges, raise the heat to medium and add the halved tomatoes with two generous pinches of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, then remove from the heat. Tear or slice the basil and fold it into the tomato mixture.
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Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add a tablespoon of kosher salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package time. Reserve a ladleful of pasta cooking water before draining.
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Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Toss gently to combine, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening. Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino-romano, if you like.
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