Pasta Pomodoro with Artichoke Hearts

I was hungry.  And I wanted something quick.  Really quick.  And satisfying.  And then I remembered.  Bless Her Heart had a great-looking pasta dish that was sure to fill the bill. And I was right.  It was good.  And satisfying.  And I was able to put it together in no time flat. 

Pantry limitations forced me to make a couple of tweaks.  I'm not a huge angel hair pasta fan, but I usually have spaghetti. So spaghetti it was.  No fresh tomatoes on hand, so I turned to sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.  Definitely a different taste - more intensely tomato-y.  And unfortunately I didn't have any canned artichokes (though now that I think of it, there may have been some in the freezer... ), but after a little scrounging around the pantry, I came upon a jar of marinated artichokes.  Not the ideal substitute, I have to say, though I did rinse them very well before adding them to the dish.  Actually, they worked j  One other slight alteration to the recipe was the addition of some pine nuts. I sauteed them with the garlic, so they were soft yet toasty-flavored, so they were not really crunchy.  Really good.  (I love adding pine nuts to pasta aglio e olio, too.)

Thank you again to Bless Her Heart!

Capellini Pomodoro with Artichoke Hearts
Serves 4-6

1 pound Capellini or Angel Hair Pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
5-7 cloves of fresh garlic, sliced
1 large tomato, diced (about 2 cups)
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped (1/2-3/4 cup)
1 3.5 oz jar of capers, drained
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan for garnish

Set a large pot of water to boil for the Capellini.  While you wait for the water to boil, go ahead and start the sauce.

In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the garlic slices.  Cook for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is tender and aromatic.  Add the tomatoes, capers and artichoke hearts. Salt and Pepper to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes to warm the sauce.  Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.  Cook the capellini according the instructions on the package.  Capellini is such a fine pasta that it will take no longer than 3 minutes or so.  Drain and put the pasta back in the pot.  Add the basil to the sauce and stir to wilt, then add the sauce to the capellini and toss to coat the pasta.  Serve garnished with parmesan.


Source:  Bless Her Heart