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Bruschetta Pasta

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!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: entree
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 2 people
Author: Sweta Patel

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.