This recipe is a solid summer staple, primarily because it’s great to use-up bits and pieces of summer product. This is especially helpful when it’s a bit later in the season and you might be a bit slower on being creative with the produce.
Really, use whatever produce you might have on hand. Summer squash, zucchini, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, peppers, or even eggplant would be good. You could also make a vegan-like version using something like this sunflower sauce.
Late Summer Pasta with Cream Sauce
Scale
Ingredients
2–3 ounces pasta, cooked in salted water
2 teaspoons butter, ghee, or olive oil
1 ear sweet corn (1 cup kernels)
1/3 cup diced red peppers
1/4 minced scallion or onion
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup grated (veg-friendly) parm, + extra for serving
Zest from 1/2 lemon
2–3 tablespoons julienned basil, + extra for serving
Salt, to taste
Instructions
Cook pasta and drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Melt butter in a skillet and add the vegetables. Cook the vegetables until tender but still some texture.
Turn off heat and add in cream, parm, and lemon zest. Add the pasta and turn the heat back on to low. Stir until the sauce has coated the pasta, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. The sauce will thicken again slightly as it heats with the pasta.
Turn off heat and stir in basil. Serve with a sprinkle of more basil, parm, and crushed red pepper if desired. Eat immediately- the sauce soaks in fast!
I did not like tomatoes as a child. My mom grew tomatoes in our garden and I always turned up my nose at them. What a missed opportunity to enjoy something so delicious! As an adult with my own garden, I was excited to grow a big harvest this summer. Unfortunately, both tomato plants died before they produced any fruit! If you’re lucky enough to have a homegrown bounty of fresh tomatoes still warm from the summer sun, I beg you to make this marinated tomato and avocado salad.
In fact, I beg you to make this marinated tomato and avocado salad even if you don’t have a vegetable garden. That is, unless you’ve discovered this recipe in the dead of winter and all you can find are bland greenhouse tomatoes. In that case, bookmark this page and come back in summer when tomatoes have the absolute best flavor. I used pearl tomatoes on the vine for this recipe because they’re the perfect bite size when sliced into quarters. Feel free to use whatever tomatoes you have on hand!
This marinated tomato and avocado salad is a fantastic summer recipe whether you’re barbecuing at home or headed out for a picnic. The tomatoes can chill in the fridge while you prep the rest of your feast, making this a really simple recipe to prepare if you’re in charge of multiple dishes. Dice and add the avocado just before serving for the best results.
While incredibly fresh and delicious on its own, there are many ways you can bulk up this marinated tomato and avocado salad if you need to feed a crowd. Try adding cooked quinoa, couscous, or farro. Or, turn it into a pasta salad by adding cooked and cooled shells or penne. I have big plans to spread this salad on crusty bread for a bruschetta-inspired appetizer.
1 or 2 ripe avocados, diced (depending on your preference and the size of your avocados)
⅓ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Quarter the pearl tomatoes and place them in a large bowl. Peel the red onion and cut it in half from tip to root. Place the flat part of the onion on your cutting board and carefully slice it into thin half moons. Add the onion to the bowl with the tomatoes.
Combine the chopped garlic, lime juice, olive oil, agave, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. The marinade should be salty, tangy, and just a tad sweet – adjust the ingredients until balanced.
Pour the marinade over the sliced tomatoes and onion and gently toss to coat. Marinate the tomatoes in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, drain any excess liquid from the tomatoes. Tip: if you’re serving this salad with cooked quinoa, couscous, or pasta, reserve the marinade for extra dressing. Transfer the marinated tomatoes and onions to a serving platter and add the diced avocado. Top with chopped cilantro and serve fresh.
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