Blistered Cherry Tomato and Gooey Mozzarella Spaghetti

This spaghetti dish is tasty and quick to make. (Colin Price)

This is just about the easiest tomato sauce you’ll ever make, and when made with ripe summer tomatoes, the flavor is hard to beat. I love using cherry tomatoes because they require no extra chopping, but you can make this sauce with any tomatoes you have on hand; just slice them into bite-size pieces first.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 pounds (910 grams) cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup white wine
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1 pound (455 grams) spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces (225 grams) fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
• 8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons

To blister the tomatoes, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick or coated cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over low heat until they begin to soften and smell very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, a pinch of salt, black pepper to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Once the tomatoes have cooked for 10 minutes, uncover the pan and mash the tomatoes with a potato masher or the back of a fork until broken down.

Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add the cooked pasta and compound butter and toss until the butter is melted. Stir in the Parmesan, mozzarella, and basil, tossing to combine and slightly melt the mozzarella cheese.

Note

This sauce isn’t just for pasta. You can also use it to top chicken paillard, sautéed or baked fish, even leftover rice or grains.

Prep in Advance

The tomato sauce can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled, and placed in an airtight container. When ready to prepare, bring sauce to a simmer and proceed as directed.

Repurpose Leftovers

Double the blistered cherry tomatoes and remove half from the pot. Mash and simmer into a sauce, and then place on top of cooked chicken or fish.

Recipe reprinted with permission from “Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook” by Catherine McCord. Published by Harry N. Abrams.