Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Doesn’t this look delicious? Fresh tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, onion, garlic and toasted pine nuts?? What more would you need for a stunningly healthy dinner? Oh yeah, fresh pasta!!

Begin by toasting the pine nuts: evenly spread out nuts on baking sheet or glass pyrex dish and cook in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes (or until just browned). Set aside.

Get ready to cook pasta according to package directions. Watch your timing so pasta is done as soon as your tomato topping is finished. Fresh pasta cooks very fast….

Meanwhile, heat olive oil, garlic and onion on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oregano and 1 teaspoon black pepper as the mixture is cooking.

After 5 minutes, add mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Add ¼ cup red wine. Bring to boil, turn heat down and simmer until wine has reduced by half. Add cherry tomatoes and cook 8-10 minutes. Tomatoes should easily pierce with sharp knife but do not cook so long they lose their form.

Turn heat off and add fresh basil and the toasted pine nuts, stirring to mix. Let the basil wilt as you would fresh spinach.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve over fettuccine and top with freshly shaved parmesan. Enjoy as each bite POPS with yumminess (you’ll know what I mean when you have your first taste) .

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons oregano
¼ black pepper
8 button mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup red wine
1 package cherry tomatoes
6 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into pieces
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 package fresh fettuccuine
Fresh parmesan to taste

Seves two

Tips for Success

This dinner comes together fast, so the best thing you can do is chop everything before you turn on a burner. Dice the onion, crush the garlic, slice the mushrooms and tear the basil, then line it all up next to the stove. Fresh pasta usually cooks in just 2 to 4 minutes, so drop it in the boiling water when the tomatoes go into the skillet and the timing works out almost perfectly.

• Keep an eye on the pine nuts. They go from golden to burnt very quickly. Set a timer and check them a minute early.
• Salt your pasta water. A good handful of salt in the pot seasons the noodles from the inside.
• Save a little pasta water. Scoop out half a cup before you drain. If the sauce seems dry, a splash helps it cling to the noodles.
• Add the basil last. Heat dulls its flavor, so stir it in after the burner is off.

Ingredient Swaps and Variations

If you cannot find fresh fettuccine, dried works fine. Just start it earlier since it takes closer to 10 or 12 minutes. Linguine or spaghetti are great substitutes too. No red wine open? Use the same amount of vegetable broth with a small splash of balsamic vinegar. Toasted walnuts can stand in for pine nuts, and a handful of baby spinach stirred in with the basil adds some extra green.

For the meat lovers in my family, I sometimes serve this with grilled chicken on the side. Just make sure the chicken reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part before slicing.

What to Pair It With

A crisp green salad and some crusty bread are all you need. Pour the rest of that red wine with dinner, or keep it light with sparkling water and lemon.

Storage and Reheating

This dish is at its best right after it is made, but leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium low heat with a splash of water so the pasta loosens up, and add a little fresh basil and parmesan to brighten it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dried basil?

Fresh basil really makes this dish, so I would not swap it. If you must, use about 2 teaspoons of dried and add it with the oregano instead of at the end.

How do I double it for company?

Double everything and use your biggest skillet so the tomatoes cook in a single layer and keep their shape.

Mandy

Fettuccine with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Fresh fettuccine tossed with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, garlic, red wine, fresh basil and toasted pine nuts, finished with shaved parmesan.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 button mushrooms sliced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 package cherry tomatoes
• 6 tbsp fresh basil cut into pieces
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package fresh fettuccine
• fresh parmesan shaved, to taste

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet or glass baking dish and toast for 8 minutes, or until just browned. Set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, timing it so the pasta is done when the tomato topping is finished.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil, garlic and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oregano and black pepper as the mixture cooks.
4. After 5 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the red wine, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until they pierce easily with a sharp knife but still hold their shape.
7. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions and drain.
8. Turn off the heat under the skillet and stir in the fresh basil and toasted pine nuts. Let the basil wilt.
9. Season with salt and pepper, spoon over the fettuccine and top with shaved parmesan.

Notes

Fresh pasta cooks very fast, so watch your timing.