Key facts
- Ina Garten's summer garden pasta recipe uses five main ingredients: dried pasta, Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, and basil leaves.
- The recipe requires marinating cherry tomatoes, basil, and olive oil for four hours.
- Active cooking time is minimal, primarily boiling the pasta.
- Both angel hair pasta and spaghetti were found to work well with the recipe.
Ina Garten's summer garden pasta recipe is highlighted for its simplicity and deliciousness, making it suitable for weeknight meals and summer gatherings. The recipe primarily calls for five main ingredients: dried pasta (angel hair or spaghetti recommended), Parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, and fresh basil leaves. Key to the dish is marinating the halved cherry tomatoes, basil, and olive oil for approximately four hours at room temperature, which develops a rich flavor. While this marinating period requires advance planning, the active cooking time is minimal, involving only boiling the pasta. Reviewers found the dish easy to prepare, using only a handful of dishes and requiring less than 10 minutes of active cooking. The resulting pasta is described as simple yet rich, with the marinated tomatoes providing an intense flavor and the Parmesan cheese helping to create a sauce that coats the noodles. The choice of pasta, whether thin angel hair or spaghetti, affects the final dish's texture and richness, with both proving successful. Business Insider reporters Erin McDowell and Anneta tested the recipe, finding it easy to prepare with impressive results.