Spicy Spaghetti Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
sara rose : a flavor journal.
A simple spaghetti recipe with fresh tomatoes, basil, shallots, garlic, and plenty of red pepper flakes; this is a great pasta recipe for two people, but can easily be doubled (or tripled) if needed!
1/4tsp.Red Pepper Flakes***or 1/2 tsp. for extra spicy
Salt and Cracked Black Pepperto taste
1tbsp.freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
Instructions
Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package instructions, minus about one minute to make them al dente.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, pour in one tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced shallots, halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.
Cook the vegetables until softened and slightly charred, about 6-7 minutes. (The tomatoes will start to fall apart, which is great! You want them to coat the noodles.)
Stir in another tablespoon of olive oil and the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is softened and very fragrant, about one minute. (For an extra spicy version, sprinkle in another 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.)
Transfer the cooked noodles to the pan. Sprinkle in the finely chopped basil, and use tongs to toss all of the ingredients together.
Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice. Toss the pasta together again. Taste and season with another pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to taste. Serve immediately!
Notes
*Substitute cherry tomatoes with grape tomatoes or any other small variety of fresh tomato. You can also use larger tomatoes, such as Roma, On-the-Vine, etc., but be sure to cut them into bite size pieces before cooking!**Use more basil leaves if you really love basil!***I actually use 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes when I make this, but all of our tastes are very different. I recommend starting with 1/4 tsp. if you're not as into super spicy food!