Fettuccine with Brie, Tomatoes and Basil
I’ve noticed that there tend to be two camps of people when it comes to seasons -- there are the “summer people,” or those who wait all year for the arrival of June, July, and August, who eagerly count down the days until they can trade in their jeans for shorts, spend all day at the beach, and commence their daily gelato habit (just me?) Then there are the “Fall people” – the ones who speak excitedly about the leaves changing color (they’re just dead leaves!) the chance to finally wear sweaters and boots (I’d take a sun dress any day) and the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Dunkin Donuts (I’d always much prefer an iced cappuccino, but that’s just me).
As you can see, I am not a Fall person.
I have long associated summer with school vacation, trips to Newport, days spent by the pool, warm weather, and a great season to cook and eat in – summer is after all the time of the year when corn, watermelon, cherries, and tomatoes are at their best and the weather is perfect for grilling outside. It is hands down my favorite season.
I can however be somewhat comforted by the fact that technically, summer doesn’t officially end until Sept. 21, and so in the meantime I can continue to make summery, quick tomato basil pastas like this one and pretend that we’re still smack in the middle of Summer and not actually heading towards Autumn.
This is a recipe that my mom has been making for years now, inspired by a recipe published in the Silver Palate Cookbook. The olive oil, brie, and tomatoes combine to make a fantastic no cook sauce, and the longer you let the ingredients marinate, the better the sauce becomes. The brie is an unusual touch to the pasta – usually mozzarella would be the traditional accompaniment to the basil and tomato combination, but the brie switches things up a bit and gives the dish a nice richness. Best of all, this dish is low maintenance and super easy to make, and with the exception of the pasta is a no cook dish.
You can use any kind of long pasta here – I used fettuccine, but spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini would also be good. If you can find them in your supermarket, try using a variety of grape tomatoes to make the dish even prettier; I used red and yellow ones. The original recipe has 3 cloves of garlic, which is a lot for me, so I put 1-2; however, if you really like garlic, feel free to put as much as 3.
This dish can be served as a first course, or if you want to do as the non-Italians do, you can even serve it as a side dish (sorry Italian readers!!) It is a great accompaniment to grilled meat or chicken. Be sure to serve the pasta with lots of bread to not let any of the sauce go to waste.
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FETTUCCINE WITH BRIE, TOMATOES, AND BASIL
Recipe from the Silver Palate cookbook. Serves 6 as a main course.
Ingredients:
12 ounces (168 grams) grape tomatoes (red, orange, and yellow, if you can find them) halved
1 pound (448 grams) Brie cheese, rind removed, torn into irregular pieces
1 cup (20 grams) fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
3/4 (180mL) cup best quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
1/2 teaspoons (3 grams) freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds (670 grams) fettuccine
Directions:
Combine tomatoes, brie, basil, garlic, 1 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving and set aside, covered, at room temperature
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain pasta and immediately toss with the tomato sauce. Serve immediately.
