Pasta with Tomatoes & Orange Zest

Cold weather meals are all about complex, hearty flavors; which makes me think of stews, chili, and casseroles. But as soon as summer hits, I want meals to be as light and fresh as possible! We need to celebrate all the beautiful fresh produce that graces us in the warm months, and this Pasta with Tomatoes & Orange Zest does exactly that.

Picking the right ingredients.

This is a simple, no-cook pasta sauce, and because of that, high quality ingredients matter. The two ingredients that I recommend splurging on for this recipe are: olive oil and tomatoes.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil- The base of the sauce is olive oil, and I recommend buying a nice cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil for this purpose. EVOO is the least processed olive oil, is jam-packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and tastes wonderful.
• Heirloom Tomatoes- There is a reason I only make this recipe in the summer; you just can’t beat the flavor and texture of fresh, ripe heirloom tomatoes. To ensure the freshest of the fresh, visit your local farmer’s market or a quality grocer that partners with local farms. The less a tomato travels before it arrives on your cutting board, the better!

An easy weeknight dinner.

This recipe is simple and only has a handful of ingredients, but is just packed with flavor. The no-cook sauce is made while the noodles boil which means dinner can be served in less than 20 minutes, and I promise, no one at the dinner table will be disappointed with this one! This Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Orange Zest is a lovely celebration of summer produce and is a true salute to the season.

Print Recipe

Pasta with Tomatoes & Orange Zest

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

Pasta – Italian

By Amy – Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 10 minutes – Total Time: 15 minutes

A light, summery pasta with a no-cook sauce.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. pasta (short noodles like bowtie, penne, etc)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups heirloom tomatoes, seeded and medium dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Zest from a navel orange (see note)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

1

Boil pasta according to package directions.

2

As pasta cooks, combine olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, zest, and S&P in a large bowl.

3

When pasta finishes cooking, drain and immediately add to tomato mixture.

4

Add basil and toss well to combine.

5

Serve immediately.

Notes

Lemon or lime zest can be used in place of orange zest.