Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I picked up a variety of lovely heirloom tomato's yesterday at the farmers market. I would like to make a pasta dish for tonight's dinner. I would like the tomato's to remain fresh and just be warm rather than cooked down. I would add them with the pasta at the end.

Here's what I have in the house.
EVOO
zucchini
patty pan
onions
shallots
garlic
yellow beans
celery
carrots
shrimp
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil, parsley, chives and thyme
A ton of herbs and spices from Penzy's
A variety of pasta shapes, I am thinking spaghetti, linguini or angel hair.

Someone help me build a fabulous pasta dish please. You are all more creative than I am.

Thanks, Laurie

I would probably chop the tomatoes (if they are big; if they are cherry tomatoes I'd just half them) and put them aside drizzled with a bit of olive oil and tossed with some chopped fresh basil so that they marinate a bit. In the meantime, I'd caramelize either the onions or the shallots (just because I love them best that way). At this point I'd get the water boiling and cook the pasta about half way done. Then in the sauté pan (after taking the onion or shallot out), I'd sauté sliced zucchini and patty pan squash (maybe quartered, depending on their size), toss in minced garlic and the onion/shallot at the end to heat through. Put the cooked pasta into the sauté pan (or if it's too big to fit, drain the pasta and add the sauté pan ingredients into the pasta), toss it with the tomatoes, olive oil and basil, and then season to taste with extra olive oil, a bit of the pasta water if needed, and extra fresh basil and parsley. If you have any parmesan or romano, I'd top the pasta with that as well (rather than the mozzarella). If you wanted to use the mozzarella, I'd cube it really small and marinate it with the tomato to keep it fresh rather than shredding it and mixing it in. If you wanted to use the beans too, I'd pop them in the water with the pasta for the last 5 minutes of cooking and go from there.

Carey, I was thinking along those lines as well. I do have parm and also broccoli, cauliflower and a big bag of mixed colored peppers as well as jalapeno. My fridge is overflowing with fresh produce. I need to use it or loose it!

Laurie,

I'd add in the peppers to the saute mix then too. Broccoli and cauliflower IMO go better with pesto than tomato sauces. I love pesto pasta with broccoli, cauliflower and peas!

Laurie, DH started harvesting our tomatoes and we had a lot. Raw tomatoes don't like me, and he can only eat so many. Before I could make them into sauce or soup, he found Ina's roasted tomatoes recipe online (I have it in my LC, but he did this on his own) and made them. They were so good every time I walked by I ate one. It seemed a shame to combine them with anything else, but they would be great on pasta.

We also have a lot of zuchinni, and crooked neck, and Cubanelle peppers from our garden. We slice them and put them in a large non-stick pan with a bit of butter and garlic olive oil, add some onions or shallots, mushrooms if we have them, salt, pepper or Grains of Paradise, fresh tarragon and either Italian or Thai basil, and/or lemon thyme, mint or chives from our garden. After they've cooked for a couple of minutes we add marsala wine (sweet) and cook them covered for a few more minutes, just enough to cook the onions a bit, but not completely cooking the veggies. Squeeze some lemon or lime juice just before serving. It is amazingly good for being so simple.

PS, our cantaloupe like melons have been producing as well and while not large, they are really good this year, I just cut them in half, remove the seeds and use the half as bowl.

this time of year I completely overdose on tomato salad. cut, salt, let sit for an hour or so, add evoo and red wine vinegar and fresh ground pepper and inhale. Sop up the juices with fresh crusty bread. pure heaven.

Laurie,

Boccontini!

http://www.fuzzychef.org/archives/Tomat ... -2008.html

I know, its not pasta. But it is dramatic.

Chop up some tomatoes, add as much garlic as you like, s&p, olive oil. Refrigerate for an hour or so and then add to hot pasta. Top with basil. I know it's heresy to refrigerate tomatoes, but this is delicious.

fitzie

So many wonderful ideas! I have about 5 left so I will be trying some of your idea's. Tomato salad sounds great. I do something like that with feta, tomato's and cukes. So good!

The darn things were about a buck a piece so every one needs to be used!

Laurie