Macarrão com tomate-cereja e muçarela fresca

Ingredientes

• 250 g cherry tomatoes (note 1)
• 50 g butter
• 50 g olive oil (extra virgin)
• 10 g garlic (chopped or minced)
• 4 g salt
• 4 g sugar (note 2)
• 100 g pasta (dried or 200g fresh pasta (note 3))
• 125 g mozzarella (soft in brine or water (note 4))
• 6 g parsley (flat-leaf roughly chopped (note 5))

Modo de preparo

1. 1

   Prep & Cook Tomatoes: - Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add halved and whole cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, and salt. Cook gently until the tomatoes burst and the garlic becomes soft and fragrant. This takes bout 8–10 minutes on a gentle simmer.

2. 2

   Season the sauce: Once the cherry tomatoes have burst and cooked out, you end up with something looking like a rustic sauce. Season with a touch of sugar to rebalance, because tomatoes lose their sweetness when cooked.

3. 3

   Boil and add pasta: If using fresh pasta, boil for 2 to 3 minutes in salted water, if using store-bought, then boil according to the package instructions or until al dente with a slight bite. Drain and reserve some pasta water. Add the pasta to the cherry tomato sauce as well as a touch of cooking water to make sure it's not dry and follow up with optional, yet recommended, chopped fresh parsley.

4. 4

   Serve: Give the pasta a good toss to coat in the sauce. Place into a pasta bowl and break the fresh mozzarella into bite-size chunks, adding it to the top of the pasta randomly. Finish with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.