Easy tomato basil pasta

I didn't grow any tomatoes this year, but I might try some in pots or hanging bags for next season. For those of you who have a booming crop thanks to all the heat and rain we've had this summer, this recipe should provide a great way to use up your stash.

First, assemble about a pound of small tomatoes (cherry, grape etc.). I used a variety of heirlooms I picked up at the market.

Check out these jeweled beauties!

Toss them around in some olive oil, and add in a chopped clove of garlic, and some salt and pepper.

Then they go in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes burst. (Please ignore the pan. It belonged to a toaster oven I owned years ago that has since gone to toaster oven heaven. I know it looks gross, but I swear it's clean, and you wouldn't believe how often I actually use it.)

Meanwhile, you've been cooking your pasta and have drained it. Reserve some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to a bowl. Next, tip in the tomatoes and garlic, and any juices that collected in the pan, and add some chopped basil. Stir stir stir! Add in any cooking water to loosen the dish.

Pile it on your plate, drizzle with some olive oil, add a generous topping of parmesan cheese, and top with some fresh basil leaves. A really easy, summery tasting pasta dish in no time at all.

Easy tomato basil pasta (adapted from Shutterbean)

Here’s what you’ll need: *I halved the recipe and got two healthy servings

-1 lb, spaghetti
-1 lb. fresh cherry tomatoes (the more the merrier!)
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-salt & pepper to taste
-olive oil

If you like your pasta a bit spicy, red pepper flakes will do the trick! You could also add some balsamic vinegar to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Try it & enjoy!

Tomato basil pizza

I was in the mood for pizza on the weekend, and wanted to try cooking it on the barbecue. But when it started to rain -- and didn't stop -- on Sunday afternoon, I bit the bullet and turned on the oven to cook one inside.

I used the simple pizza dough recipe, and loaded the top with some small heirloom tomatoes I picked up at the market on the weekend. I'm not a fan of traditional pizza sauce, so I spread the base with some black olive tapenade first; just a thin layer evened out with the back of a spoon.

Then came the tomatoes, each one sliced in half, and some small boccacini balls, sliced in half too. I threw on a bit of leftover chicken as well.

Sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and it's ready for the oven.
And here's how it turns out about 15 minutes later. I'm totally throwing modesty out the window and telling you that this pizza ROCKED! It smelled amazing and tasted just as good, especially adorned with a few fresh basil leaves. I may have to repeat this one next weekend -- barbecue or not.

Lemony zucchini goat cheese pizza

The zucchini and summer squash I bought at the market sat in my fridge for almost an entire week and were dangerously close to becoming shrivelled up versions of their former selves, so it was time to act. I decided to turn them into a pizza, inspired by a recipe here.

I started out making the pizza dough from scratch, and added in a half cup of whole wheat flour. This really was a simple recipe, as it only required a couple minutes of kneading and one rise.

Once the dough had doubled in size and had time to rest, I smeared on the goat cheese, mixed with lemon juice and topped with basil from my herb pot. On went handfuls of sliced zucchini. The different sizes prevented me from arranging them in artful concentric circles, but it still looked pretty good.

Ready for the oven.

I was a bit skeptical about how much the lemon flavour would shine through, but it really did. This is a nice, light summmertime pizza.

Really Simple Pizza Dough

Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl (a spritz of cooking spray perfectly does the trick) where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter (yup, I leave mine messy), and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like. Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s lightly blistered and impossible to resist.

Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza

1 batch Simplest Pizza Dough
1 lemon
4 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
Few leaves of fresh basil, cut into thin slivers
1/2 medium yellow zucchini, sliced as thinly as you can
1/2 medium green zucchini, sliced as the same as above (or combination of whatever you have)
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Roll your pizza dough into a thin 12-inch circle, or rectangle to fit your baking tray, and lay it on a tray.

In a small bowl, stir together the goat cheese with the juice of half your lemon. Season it with salt and freshly ground pepper, and spread it over your pizza dough. Scatter fresh basil slivers over the cheese.

Arrange your zucchini coins in concentric circles over the goat cheese spread, overlapping them slightly. Squeeze the juice of the second half of your lemon on top of you zucchini, then drizzle with olive oil and finish with more salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes (your baking time will vary, so please watch carefully), or until the edges of your pizza are golden brown and the zucchini looks roasted and a little curled up at the edges. Serve with a green or even simple tomato salad and a glass of crisp white wine.