Summer Pasta

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Do you love pasta and fresh herbs? Then this easy, simple dish is perfect for you! (Recipe by my friend Sven.)

Recipe by Sven [author information]

This is my go-to pasta for spring and summer. It’s super easy, simple, and fast. You probably have most of the ingredients at home.

Ingredient List

  • 500g linguine pasta
  • 3 teaspoons of a mild salt (such as Himalayan salt)
  • Olive oil (always choose only high-quality olive oil – and whatever tastes best to you).
  • Herbs – ideally from your own “garden,” otherwise organic quality
    • 1 bundle of cilantro
    • 1 bundle of flat-leaf parsley
    • 1 bouquet of basil
  • 10 cherry tomatoes or your favorite tomatoes
  • Chili flakes – or freshly ground pepper, if chili is too “spicy” for you
  • Optional: good, ‘old’ Parmesan cheese (meaning, aged 24 months or more).

What utensils do we need?

  • A large pot with a lid that can hold about five liters.
  • Cutting board
  • Pasta strainer
  • Knife
  • Pasta tongs (or fork)

Alright, let’s get cooking.

  1. Bring about four liters of water to a boil with the lid on. Then, add the pasta and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt to the boiling water. Reduce the heat; otherwise, the water will boil over. Stir the pasta to prevent it from sticking together. I’d also recommend stirring it occasionally to keep it loose while preparing the rest of the dish.
  2. While the pasta simmers, we’ll take this time to
    1. Quarter the tomatoes.
    2. Remove the parsley, basil, and cilantro leaves from their stems.
    3. Finely pluck the leaves (don’t chop them!).
  3. Drain the pasta and plate it on pasta plates. Then, toss the pasta with a generous drizzle of olive oil straight from the bottle.
  4. Sprinkle salt over the pasta with your fingers. Right away, follow up with chili flakes (you need a teaspoon) or freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Distribute the quartered cherry tomatoes and herbs over the pasta however you like. If desired, grate fresh Parmesan directly onto the pasta.
  6. Serve with a smile and enjoy!

Tip: Feel free to try other herbs or combinations.

Side Notes:

  1. Thank you, Sven, for sharing this recipe! I can smell the fresh pasta and picture you in your kitchen, when I read this. 😉 We will surely try the recipe as soon as the basil has bunched up on our balcony (should happen within the next two weeks!).