Golden Tomato Sauce

Golden cherry tomatoes have the most subtle sweetness to them and are as magical as a golden summer sunset, IMO!! Last summer, some friends and I did a mini-road trip to Almonte, Ontario and stopped by a farmer’s market, where I managed to get my hands on the most perfect pint of Sungold cherry tomatoes — a variety that has a vibrant tangerine hue and the most delightful taste to them. I was inspired to make a very simple tomato sauce so that I could really focus on their flavour and incredible colour.

When I tell you it was one of the most delicious pastas I have ever made???😱 Only problem was that I took 0 photos, & wrote down no recipe notes. Sigh. BUT, this year I promised that if I saw some really beautiful ingredients again, I’d attempt it one more time. Although this time I couldn’t resource the Sungold variety, I managed to get soft yellow tomatoes and it was still a great turnout.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint of yellow cherry tomatoes
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese
• 4-6 fresh basil
• 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water
• S & P
• Medium shells, or another short, ridged pasta shape

Start by bringing a medium pot with salted water to a boil for your pasta.

Heat a medium saute pan to low/medium heat, and add the butter and olive oil. Next, add the minced shallot and cook until they translucent and soft, about 6-8 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or two until it smells fragrant. Next, add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, and increase the heat to medium /high. Cook for another 8 minutes, pressing down on the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices and sweetness.

Add the basil and the heavy cream to the pan and allow it to cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes on low/medium heat.

Cook your pasta to al dente (about a few minutes less than what the box time says).

Remove the tomatoes from the heat and transfer to a nutri-bullet or high speed blender, blending until smooth. Transfer back to the pan and keep on a very low heat, stirring in about 1/4 cup of the fresh parmesan cheese. Reserve about 1/4. cup of pasta water before draining the pasta and adding it directly into the pan with the blended sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce on low heat while adding the remainder of the parmesan cheese and a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water until the sauce begins to get glossy, smooth and clings to the pasta beautifully. Season to taste and add more salt/pepper to your preference.

Serve with more fresh basil, more fresh parm, and a little chilli crisp if you’d like more spice to your final bite. Enjoy hot!! -A❁