I’ve had my eye making a pasta with fresh tomatoes for a while. This recipe exceeded all expectations. While I say things like, “Best ___ ever!” quite frequently, Alex isn’t usually quite as generous. However, we both used the phrase multiple times as we enjoyed this dish.

What really makes the recipe is the tomatoes. We bought a couple from our local food stand since ours aren’t ripe yet, and they were amazing. Make sure to use the best quality tomatoes for this dish to really shine. Another integral part is the fresh garlic; if you’re not a garlic person, you could sauté the garlic first (as noted below), or omit it altogether (though it might lose a bit of the magic).

This would be a perfect recipe to try if you:

–Want to easily impress a special someone with your culinary mastery

–Had a long day at work and need a quick and delicious meal to pair with a glass of wine

–Have an overproductive tomato plant.

We’ll definitely be making this one again (likely in one or more of the cases above)!

Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes, Zucchini and Herbs
Inspired by Andreas Viestad in Food and Wine

4 to 6 servings

What You Need
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (preferably various types – we used one large red and one large yellow)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil (about a handful of leaves)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 small zucchini
2 cloves garlic
16 oz linguine (or spaghetti or angel hair)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Olive oil, salt and pepper

What To Do

1  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook linguine until al dente.

2  While the water boils and the pasta cooks, core and finely chop the tomatoes. Cut the two zucchini into thin slices. Chop the basil and parsley (1 tablespoon each), and dice the two garlic cloves. (If desired, you can sauté the garlic in a bit of olive oil beforehand to make it less potent.) If not already grated, grate the cheese.

3  In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic, along with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

4  When the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with a bit of olive oil. Add it to the bowl of tomatoes along with the zucchini and toss well.

5  Add the 1/3 cup cheese and toss again.

6  Serve topped with more grated cheese and freshly ground pepper.