Ode to Summer

So, yesterday my poor hubs was not feeling well. After a lovely long holiday weekend in New Hampshire/Maine he returned to work with a case of the trots. Poor guy. He requested a meatless dinner, which is not something he ever does but since our vacation entailed a lot of meat laden meals, I was more than happy to oblige. I had a ton of tomatoes from the garden so I knew exactly what to make. This dish takes a little bit of time to make but the process is largely hands off so it is really easy and it just screams of summer. It was a perfect light meal for my hubby's restless tummy.

Angel Hair Pasta with Summer Squash and Tomato Confit

1-2 lbs cherry tomatoes

4 (or more) cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 Cup olive oil

generous pinch of salt

zest of 1 lemon

1 summer squash (green or fellow), grated

1 lb angel hair pasta (cappelini)

3/4 Cup grated paremsan or romano cheese

3-4 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Preheat oven to 300F

Place tomatoes and garlic cloves in a roasting pan

Add salt and lemon zest

Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat

Bake for 1 hour, let cool

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta

Cook pasta halfway and add grated squash, cook another minute

Drain pasta and squash and return to pot.

Add tomatoes and juices to the pasta and finish cooking over low heat until pasta is done.

Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil and parmesan/romano cheese. 

Serve hot with fresh bread and/or a salad

NOTE: I tried making this with the regular, full-sized tomatoes from my garden and it did not compare. There was too much water and seeds and not enough pulp. The resulting confit was a watery, seedy disappointment so stick to the cherry and plum varieties.