Simple vegetarian pasta

Chad Minton
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina Del Rey

Keep your vegetarians happy with this one and your carnivores as well by simply adding a bit of spicy Italian sausage. Or, get creative by adding shaved fennel or zucchini.

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1 tbsp. minced garlic
Pinch dry chili flakes
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp. minced shallots
10 oz. fresh pasta, cooked (see note)
Kosher salt, to taste
8 whole leaves fresh basil
3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved or grated

Directions

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil to medium heat and saute garlic and chili flakes. When fragrant, add tomatoes and shallots and toss. Add cooked pasta. Season with salt and continue to toss. Finish with the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and basil. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.

Note: When purchasing pasta, it's important to note if it is made with eggs or not. Many dried pastas contain no egg and therefore are not as rich as they would be otherwise. Also of note is the pasta's surface. Look for pastas that have a rough surface. A pasta with a rough surface "holds" sauces better than a smooth surface.

Serves 2.