When it comes to cooking, the Barefoot Contessa can’t go wrong, and her Summer Garden Pasta is no exception. All you have here are simple ingredients skillfully combined for some wonderful flavor, and that’s all you need. Consider this a celebration of summer’s tomato bounty, but also a go-to dinner that’s tasty but doesn’t require much effort.This is basically simply a handful of ingredients, but the magic is in the preparation.

There is no sauce to make; instead, let the tomatoes marinade for a few hours for excellent flavor with minimal effort.Simply chop the tomatoes in half, stir with olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, and red pepper flake, and set aside. When the tomatoes release their juices, the olive oil absorbs some of their flavor as well as that of the garlic.

All that remains is to cook the pasta and toss everything together with a little freshly grated parmesan. That’s all! It’s a flavorful but light pasta dish that demands very little effort from you. Another huge success for Ina Garten!