Yellow Cherry Tomato Pasta
pasta diaries & foodie movies worth watching
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Pasta Diaries
Saturday, April 10, 2021 - mainland Venice
After a week spent in front of a screen, finally, Saturday came around.
The magic, the highlight, happened around the early afternoon, let's say 2 pm. A bit hungry, after a slow walk through the neighbourhood, I found myself in a clean kitchen (a highlight in itself), where I decided to prepare a simple weekend pasta for the two of us. We got the amazing news that some friends of ours are expecting, this morning. But for us it's just pasta for two. And in fact, she's the real highlight of my week.
It was a splendid pasta, let me tell you. A yellow cherry tomato sauce that we've become obsessed with, a bit of garlic, Ligurian evo oil from the orchards of my in-laws' friends, a bag of mezze penne that my dad brought me a couple of months ago (he always brings me pasta, sweetheart). Then, some greek olives, so tasty and meaty, they're well worth the effort of pitting them one by one.
The portion of pasta in our bowls was "abundant" (abbondante) like my dad, or any other Italian would say. Back in the days, an Australian colleague of mine told me that this expression is not common in English, but that Italians would always use it when ordering pasta at the bistrot1. They, as in the colleagues, thought it was funny, and maybe it is.
An abundant, delicious plate of pasta. Because why on earth would anyone want a small plate of pasta, I really don't know.
Yellow Cherry Tomato Pasta
I love the spontaneity of random pasta recipes. Those that you make with what you have on hand, like this one.
Ingredients (for two abundant servings)
250 gr of mezze penne (about 2 cups), or any other pasta from your pantry - on a slow weekend we eat what we find and we're grateful for we always find something.
3-4 glugs evo oil
1 small garlic clove, cut in two, germ removed
330-400 ml cherry tomato sauce (1.5 cups), yellow or red is fine. Cherry tomatoes are sweeter than their larger counterparts, and that’ what we'relooking for here: sweetness. If you can make your own sauce all the better.
A bunch of dark, pinkish, meaty greek olives. I have no idea what this variety is called, but the bag says rosate literally "pinkish".
Method
1- Put a pot of cold water to boil.
2- Pour the EVO oil into a non-stick frying pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and after a minute or so add the sauce, too. Let it simmer until your pasta is cooked.
3- Pit your olives and chuck them into the simmering sauce. Each olive is a happy thought. Enjoy the process.
4- As soon as the water starts boiling, add a small handful of coarse sea salt, then pour the raw pasta into the pot. Stir well, and keep stirring occasionally.
5- After 7-10 minutes check if the pasta is ready. If so, toss the water and pour the pasta into the frying pan. Turn the heat on high and stir well for 30-60 seconds. Be careful not to overcook your pasta. If you do like overcooked pasta, please, never let me know.
6- Serve immediately.
7 Food Movies
I injured my back recently. Moving is painful, so I lay flat and read, or watch films, preferably about food. Share your recommendations if you have any :)
A young mexican woman sets herself an ambitious objective: becoming the best sushi chef in the world. And nothing will stop her. 2014, Mexico-Japan-US
A chef and father with a faulty sense of taste lives with his three adult daughters. A fun remake of Ang Lee’s acclaimed Eat Drink Man Woman. 2001, Mexico-US
This movie was all the rage in the late 2000s. Shot by German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, it tells the story of a pure-hearted guy who fights against all sorts of unlucky accidents to save his beloved (and run down) restaurant. Ironically, the protagonist suffers from erniated disc, just like me. 2009, Greece-Germany
After the death of their father, two brothers and a sister are faced with the difficult decision of either saving the family vineyards or letting them go. 2017, France-Australia
Sexy, neurotic and French. Gorgeously woman-centric. 2014, France
All is still, and everything is about to change. This family of peach farmers is about to be evicted from the very lands they thought they owned. 2022, Catalunya-Spain
A mafia runaway finally understands what it means to have dreams of his own: learning to cook. Inspired by a true story? 2022, Naples-Rome-Italy (Italian only).
About Me
My name is Sinù Fogarizzu and I’m a vegetarian food writer from the mainland of Venice, Italy. In 2021, I launched Dash of Prosecco, a Substack newsletter about learning to cook, identity and Venetian cuisine. I’m on Instagram & Twitter.
Lupino, Little Collins St., Melbourne CBD. I waited tables at Lupino between 2013/2014. On my last day, Richard, one of the owners, brought me roses… needless to say, I cried like a baby. If you're in Melbourne I highly recommend getting a table there, the food is amazing and the service is superlative, if I say so myself.
Oh, YUM! That sounds wonderfully tasty, and the movie list is a fun one.
Have you seen, Chef? I quite enjoyed it; it's a story of a father, his son, and a food truck. Funny, sweet, and poignant.
The Hundred-Foot Journey is a great story, too, if you haven't seen it.
A big ‘YES!’ to abbondante! 🍝