This pasta dish is sort of magical for me, I get the same feels no matter what time of year I make it. I have enjoyed it on a cold winter day and on a hot July day, as I sit out on my back deck with a big bowl watching the sun sink into the horizon. In the winter I bake it in my oven, and in the summer, I like to use my BBQ as an oven that way I can spend as much time outside as possible!
Cherry tomatoes - I have always used cherry tomatoes for this dish. I imagine cutting a larger tomato into chunks would also work but I would not recommend using canned tomatoes or a tomato sauce as the skin of the tomato lends so much to the overall flavour of the dish.
Garlic – Yes you read this right, 12 cloves of garlic! You would think that the amount of garlic in this dish would keep the vampires from your door but have no fear, as they roast the flavour mellows and sweetens so you have just the right balance of garlic, tomato, green bean flavour.
Green beans – I like to use French green beans because they are thinner and when cooked they twirl with the bucatini so well. I have also used regular green beans but I steam them until they are a little softer to make sure they are very tender for twirling with the pasta.
Oil - My oil of preference is olive oil. I think it adds to the overall flavour of the dish. You could substitute it with vegetable oil.
Basil and Parsley – In the summer I use as many fresh herbs as I can, but in the winter, this is not always possible so I add dry herbs or herb paste at those times. Be aware that not all herb pastes are vegan, I am baffled as to why, but if you look at the ingredients some have milk in them.
Cherry Tomato and Green Bean Bucatini
Ingredients
4 cups cherry tomatoes halved
12 cloves garlic sliced thick
4 cups French green beans
2 cups veggie broth
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp dried basil or ½ cup of fresh or 3 tbsp of basil paste
1 tbsp dried parsley or ½ cup of fresh or 3 tbsp of parsley paste
¼ tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
450 g bucatini pasta
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F
1. Steam green beans on stove top or in microwave until just beginning to become tender. Strain out any water and set aside.
2. In 13- x 9-inch roasting pan, toss together tomatoes, garlic, green beans, oil, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Pour broth over everything, pressing beans down so they are mostly covered by soup.
4. Roast in oven until tomatoes are shriveled and beans and garlic are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Stir about half way through.
5. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add mixture from oven and mix to coat pasta evenly. Serve immediately
Enjoy!
**Tip**
This is a great tip if you are like me and don’t like to have your oven on in the summer. You can switch your glass/ceramic baking dish to a metal one and roast everything on the BBQ with all the burners on the lowest heat setting. Cooking times can vary, so keep an eye on it.
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