A Italian appetizer turned into a delicious entree! This pasta is fresh, light and filled with flavor. My garden is growing basil and tomatoes over night, yes living in the south has its benefits of a fresh garden all year long! I wanted to use these veggies and herbs from the garden in a much different way, aka dinner!
If you’ve never had bruschetta or even heard of it, please allow me to explain this goodness to you! Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer which consists of toasted bread that has been brushed with olive oil and rubbed with a garlic glove and topped off with a some tomatoes and basil.
I wanted to create a pasta dish that still had some fresh flavors from the bruschetta but also was practical for everyday life, this pasta dish takes no time and you can switch up the pasta’s from angel hair to even penne and Farrell. I know this may sound super fancy and maybe a lot of work but I did drizzle a little bit of balsamic reduction over my pasta,(optional), because I can never get my balsamic reduction to be right every time and I stick up the whole house with that vinegary smell, I just simply buy this ready made! I use the brand Bertolli, balsamic glaze it comes in this amazing bottle, easy to drizzle over anything, salads, pasta and even great to dip bread in! I swear I’m not sponsored haha, this stuff is just the real deal!
Bruschetta Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups marinara sauce Rao’s Arrabbiata
- ½ box box of thin spaghetti
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- ¼ cup tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup grated parmesan plus additional for topping if desired
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
- 4 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the pasta of your choice according to package. When pasta is done cooking, drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oregano, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper.
- Next add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes, basil and parmesan. Stir everything together until well combined. Its okay if the tomatoes don’t fully break down. you want them to still have a little structure and have a bite to it.
- Combine the pasta and sauce together and drizzle with balsamic reduction on top. Serve with a side of crusty bread (toasted or grilled brushed with some olive oil)
Notes
- Healthier option is swapping out the regular pasta with gluten free or even glass noodles.
- Please feel free to use any type of pasta, Ziti, rigatoni anything you have on hand!
- I usually make the sauce while the pasta is cooking so it cuts down time. Multi tasking at its best!
- If you don’t have fresh herbs such as basil, oregano or even garlic, use dried herbs and garlic powder. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have 🙂
- You can add sauteed asparagus or even sweet peppers to this dish.
- Use cherry tomato’s or any type of fresh tomatoes you have on hand.
