Hi!
You guys, I cannot BELIEVE it is September! Does this give anyone else major anxiety? I’m not sure why, maybe because this year is just never ending impending doom if/when this pandemic is going to end. Summer felt like the happy, safe place of the pandemic. I don’t want it to get cold! I hear Costa Rica is letting some people in? I’m half joking, half not.
Anyways! To me September still feels like summer because in the recent years the weather has stayed pretty warm through September. I also can’t believe this weekend is Labor Day Weekend! Is anyone doing anything fun for it? I’m going home for one last “live with my parents” hoorah, or at least, for now hah. My cousin Lauren is coming to visit so it will be great to see her.
Maju and I were in the Hamptons this week soaking up some beach time and seeing friends. If you know anything about me it’s that I absolutely adore the Hamptons. I lived and worked in East Hampton for two summers in a row and fell in love. It really is my happy place.
We went to a tiki bar by our Motel and were pretty much the only ones there! Yes we stayed in a Motel. And no, it was not cheap lol
Dinner at Moby’s in East Hampton. If you go, be sure to get the mushroom pizza. It was deeelish.
No trip to the Hamptons is complete without a farmers stand trip. There are so many different farm stands in the Hamptons. Some of my favorites are Amber Waves Farm, Round Swamp Farm, Balsam Farms, and I recently discovered Serene Green in Sag Harbor that sells amazing produce and fresh fish.
We stopped at Amber Waves since it was on the way out of town. I truly wanted to buy everything, but tried to limit myself..Here’s what we got.
Sungold tomatoes (taste like candy!), heirloom tomatoes, plums, cantaloupe, some type of small sour plum, baby fairytale eggplants, meredith feta (truly the best thing ever. It’s a goat and sheep milk marinated feta that will blow your mind!), and some roasted jalapeno hot sauce.
With all of these delicious tomatoes I knew I had to make a classic summer go-to of mine thanks to my Mom introducing this dish to me years ago, Pasta with Tomatoes and Brie
This recipe is so simple and is the perfect way to use up end of summer tomatoes. This would also be a great dish to whip up this weekend. It can even be served at room temperature as more of a “pasta salad” and is just so, so delicious.
This recipe will turn out amazing with 3 key variables:
Delicious, super ripe tomatoes (of any variety, I like to do a mix)
Good Brie Cheese (insert Ina Garden meeme, but seriously the better quality the cheese the better the resulting pasta)
Good olive oil. A fruity, higher quality olive oil works really great for this dish. Pretty much any olive oil that isn’t a “store brand” variety will work great!
I start by cutting up the tomatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces. I used half sungold tomatoes and half heirloom.
Then add in the brie cheese, grated garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Let this mixture sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. Look how much liquid is released from the tomatoes just after one hour. Liquid gold I tell ya! Trying not to eat all the marinated tomatoes before adding the pasta is a true test of self control. If you wanted to skip the pasta this mixture would be delicious on top of grilled chicken, fish or even just on top of a toasted piece of sourdough. YUM.
After an hour add the warm cooked pasta directly to the tomatoes. I like to grate in about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese which adds a bit more flavor and helps the sauce to stick to the pasta.
This is so delicious! And is such a crowd pleaser. You can’t really go wrong with pasta, tomatoes, and cheese!
Pasta with Tomatoes and Brie
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pint sungold tomatoes, sliced in half (or just ripe cherry tomatoes)
- 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped (preferably heirloom)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- ⅓ cup good quality olive oil
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 6 oz brie cheese, rinds removed, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- ¾ pound pasta (linguine, bow tie, fusilli, spaghetti, etc)
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, grated garlic, basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, brie cheese, salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour boil the pasta to al dente. Add the pasta directly to the tomato mixture and toss to combine. Add in the parmesan cheese. Top with some extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately or serve at room temperature.
This recipe is so simple yet so tasty. This dish would go great alongside any grilled protein of choice. I hope you give this a try! Gotta eat up all those delicious summer tomatoes while we still have them.
I hope everyone has a fun, safe, and happy Labor Day Weekend:)
xx Chelcie
