Pasta Rustica, a do it yourself dinner

Figuring that it was my turn to make dinner this monday, i swung by the supermercado and procured the remaining items needed to make one of my favorite meals, Pasta Rustica, as lifted from the man, the myth, the legend: Bob Russell. (Or, pastor Bob, for those into the brevity thing, man.)

But, also right in the beginings of the prep required, i decided to document and share, because it's straight up too good not to. SO, read on if you like wonderful pasta dishes.

Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 Garlic Cloves
crushed salt/pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
handful chopped basil
Chicken (if you prefer)
1/2 pound pasta






Preheat the oven to 400. You start by halving cherry (or sweet) tomatoes, and placing them freshly cut face down in an 8x8 baking pan. You should use a single pint's worth, and you'll be happier the fresher they are.

Then, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix together in a small bowl. Once this is complete, coat the tomatoes with your dry mix concoction evenly.



Theeeen, drizzle the olive oil over all of this and toss into the oven to cook for 35-40 minutes. What this basically does is liquefy the tomaters into this wonderfully sweet and addictive bubbly mass. Once you give it relief from it's furnace I would even suggest adding cheese and possibly oil to taste, depending on how sadistic you are feeling for your arteries that night.





Serves 2-3 hungry adults over warm pasta. (we've become addicted to a specialty pasta from the farmers market we head to every Sunday. Tonight was the remainder of a Sweet Basil Trennette...) It pairs perfectly with a nice salad and a warm loaf of bread. mmmm....