Pasta di Estate

The last days of summer mean many different things. As I write today I can see the very tips of my neighbor's maple just starting to turn a familiar shade of orange. The days have already begun to feel shorter, the evenings are noticeably cooler, and predictably we try to fit as much into our schedules as we can before fall starts. After a long day on the hospital wards, a comforting bowl of fresh pasta is my favorite way to enjoy the little bit of summertime I have left. Pasta di Estate, literally 'summer pasta' in Italian, takes advantage of the fresh tomatoes and herbs currently available at any corner produce stand in a family-friendly dish you can take from stove top to table in 20 minutes.


Aside from being versatile, delicious, and easy to find, tomatoes have an amazing nutritional profile. They're low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C and K, B6, and folate. Tomatoes are also rich in lycopene, a powerful carotenoid used by the body as an antioxidant. Here I've used both fresh cherry tomatoes to take advantage of their natural sweetness at the peak of the season, and also sun dried tomatoes soaked in olive oil and herbs. Sun dried tomatoes are great because they have a richer, more intense tomato flavor than the cherry tomatoes, but they also keep their nutritional content after preservation. I prefer to use tomatoes soaked in olive oil and herbs both to save time reconstituting tomatoes and because I would add a heart-healthy oil to the dish anyway - may as well use one well-flavored by tomatoes and herbs. Pine nuts are and excellent source of manganese as well as magnesium, copper, vitamin E and zinc, plus they add a delicious flavor and texture to this dish. Fresh herbs and a little lemon juice balance out this dish nicely.

At my house this dish is best enjoyed warm, but I've also eaten it cold on days when I'm too exhausted to bother reheating my dinner and it is equally as good. Try to use whole wheat or whole grain pasta if you can, you'll get a little extra fiber and whole gains without an appreciable difference in texture or flavor. I actually developed this recipe with my sister in mind, as she has been known to make microwave popcorn for dinner and is not particularly fond of cooking in general. We made this together after a long day of hiking and she found it easy and delicious, and I'm sure you'll find this dish truly is as simple and delicious as it gets. Enjoy!

Pasta di Estate, Served 8
1 box whole grain thin spaghetti
1/2 c pine nuts
1 8oz jar sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with herbs, see note
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 lemons, juiced
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 small handful of fresh basil leaves and Italian flat leaf parsley, or any fresh herbs you have on hand as desired, cleaned and chopped

Boil pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta and set aside. Heat a small skillet over medium low heat. Add pine nuts and toast, shaking the pan frequently, until they are just turning golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, drain the sun dried tomatoes reserving the oil, chop them into 1/4" dice, and set aside.

Heat 2 T of the reserved tomato oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes and crushed red pepper, saute about 2 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts, heat another 3-5 minutes until everything is heated through. Turn off heat. Add the drained pasta, top with lemon juice, and as much of the reserved oil and/or reserved pasta water as needed for the pasta to be thoroughly coated and moist but not dripping in a sauce. Add fresh herbs. Top with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and a little Parmesan cheese if desired before serving.

Note: if you can't find sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with herbs, add 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp dried oregano to the sun dried tomatoes, and don't hesitate to be generous with the fresh herbs.