Simple suppers: pasta with braised garlic and tomatoes

There is plenty of young, green garlic at the greenmarket at the moment, but what to do with it? Make a simple pasta supper!

I like to treat as if it were leeks, braising the whites and a bit of the greens gently in melted butter to mellow out the sharpness of that strong garlic flavor.

Add some fresh pasta, blistery tomatoes, and peppery arugula microgreens and you’ve got yourself the perfect summer supper that comes together rather seamlessly.

Next time I post, it will be from Provence! I am looking forward to taking a break, cooking simple dishes such as this one for my family, and lingering in the sunshine.

Pasta with braised garlic and tomatoes

You’ll need:

• fresh pasta (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup red cherry or campari tomatoes
• 1 bunch young green garlic
• 1/4 cup arugula microgreens
• 2 T butter
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil + 2 more for dressing
• salt, white pepper

1. Put on a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Chop the whites and the thin green tops of the young garlic roughly. In a large saute pan, melt together butter and olive oil (tip: I had some herb butter left over so that is also good to use!).

2. Braise the garlic gently on low simmering heat, coating it with butter. Add tomatoes and continue to cook until both are soft and bursting with flavor.

3. In the meantime, cook the fresh pasta (recipe linked here) – it will only take 4-5 minutes, at most.

4. Add salt, a pinch of white pepper to the tomatoes and leeks. Taste for seasoning. Mix with cooked pasta, a few tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon or two of pasta water.

Garnish each plate with a handful of peppery micro arugula and serve immediately.