Fresh 'n' Zesty Friday

Tangy tomatoes, fresh basil, and healthy whole grain short cut pasta. This fantastic pasta dish is sure to please everyone in the household. An easy 20 minute recipe like this one allows you plenty of time to sit back, relax and treat yourself to a nice glass of wine. You deserve it!

Zesty Tomato Basil Rotini

Serves 2-4

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 (about 7 oz.) package whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked al dente

1 package grape tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, pressed/minced

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

crushed red pepper

fresh basil, chopped

vegan parmesan cheese (optional)

S&P

EVOO

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat two turns of EVOO on medium low heat. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, while pasta is cooking. Before draining pasta, take about 1/2 cup of starchy liquid from the pot and set aside. Once tomatoes have begun to wilt and pop, use a potato masher and gently mash each tomato until a thick sauce has formed. Add tomato sauce and starchy liquid. Add in desired amount of crushed red pepper and S&P. Cover and simmer on low heat for a few minutes. Stir in the pasta, re-cover until cooked through and sauce is clinging to pasta. Remove from heat, transfer to large serving bowl and stir in chopped basil. Top with vegan parmesan cheese or offer real parmesan for the non-vegan.

Ray's Tip of the Day

After dropping pasta in boiling water, add a few turns of EVOO and season with S&P. When you drain the pasta, you won't need to fret about sticky noodles. The S&P also gives them a nice flavor to start a recipe with.

Cooking with Kids

Exchange oregano and thyme for the crushed red pepper, making the recipe less spicy but still yummy. Also serve with crusty garlic bread for sauce dipping.

Cooking for the Non-Vegan

A simple sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan cheese makes any eater a happy camper.

Ray