Fresh Tomato and Fennel Pasta

Name: Fresh Tomato and Fennel Pasta
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 oz Pasta (12 oz pasta of your choice, I like rigatoni); 0 pieces Kosher Salt (Kosher salt); ¼ cup Olive Oil (1/4 cup olive oil); 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter (2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or more olive oil)); 5 pieces Garlic (5 garlic cloves, 4 thinly sliced, one finely grated); 1 tbsp Fennel Seed (1 tablespoon fennel seed); 0 pieces Red Pepper Flakes (Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)) — optional; 2 tbsp White Vinegar (2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar); 0 pieces Pecorino Cheese (Pecorino or parmesan cheese, for grating)

Fresh Tomato and Fennel Pasta - Main Course (Italian)

Italian

Servings4

Add to grocery list

Plan it in the app to put it on your week.

Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Halal
Egg Free

Steps

1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While that is happening, start the sauce.
2Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 4 garlic cloves, fennel seed, and a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until garlic begins to turn a lovely golden brown, while the spices toast alongside, 3 to 4 minutes.
3Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and turn the heat to high. Cook, tossing or stirring occasionally until they burst but don’t turn to total mush (there should be juiciness, but not jamminess), 5 to 7 minutes (it might look thin, that’s okay). Add vinegar and season again with salt and pepper. Remove from heat while you cook the pasta.
4Once pasta is cooked to a nice al dente, drain (I like to use a slotted spoon or strainer and leave the water behind) and add to the pot, tossing to coat. Add some pasta water to loosen things up if it needs, and keep tossing and cooking until the pasta is perfectly cooked and the sauce coats each piece.
5Remove from heat and spoon into a bowl, shower it with cheese, the remaining clove of garlic, and more pepper.