Easy Summer Pasta (use up those garden veggies)

Ingredients

• 8 oz linguine pasta (or preferred noodle pasta, uncooked )
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (sweet, yellow, or white onion, I like sweet (about ½ large onion))
• 6 large cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• 24 oz cherry tomatoes (about 6 cups)
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon table salt (plus additional for cooking pasta and to taste/as needed)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ heaping teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 oz fresh basil leaves (shredded or cut into ribbons (about 1/3 cup))
• ⅓ cup freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, then add garlic and cook about 30-60 seconds longer, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently until tomatoes soften and burst. Once tomatoes are soft enough you can use a wooden spoon or spatula to squish them as you stir.

5. 5

   Add basil and stir.

6. 6

   Add warm cooked, drained linguine and stir well. Add splashes of pasta water as needed to make a thin sauce, you basically want to ensure the pasta is not dry and the noodles are coated with a thin layer of the sauce. I typically need to add about ¼ cup of the pasta water.

7. 7

   Remove from heat, add parmesan and stir well. Taste-test and add additional salt or pepper as needed, then serve warm topped with additional parmesan as desired with a side salad or side of crusty bread.