One-Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

I loved this pasta!  It was so easy too!  Right now I'm buying wonderful grape tomatoes often from the Sicilian guy on the side of the road. :)  He sells produce from Sicily and it's all delicious, and cheap.  I got the zucchini from him too (just saute it on the stove with olive oil and your favorite herb mix, and salt if needed. Add feta if desired.) His tomatoes were wonderful in this. Of course if you grow your own, that would be even better.  We grow our own basil!!  Lol.

I used my white non-stick (I think ceramic-coated) soup pot for this recipe and it was perfect.  If you have an enamel Dutch oven that would be great.

One-Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

2 cups milk
2 3/4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 pound (16 ounces) spaghetti, broken in half
4 cups (about 20 ounces) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (can add more- I did)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 heaping teaspoon)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 to 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1/2 cup (about 1.5 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.  In a large pot (5- to 6-quarts), combine the milk, broth, spaghetti, garlic, oregano, cherry tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring often so the pasta doesn’t stick. Adjust the heat accordingly especially at the end. Cook until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. (At the end, I threw in a few tablespoons of cream I had on hand that needed to be used. It was great, but not needed. If the pasta is not cooked through and the liquid is gone, add extra broth or milk as needed until pasta is tender.)

2.  Off the heat, stir in the basil leaves and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately (if you want it slightly thicker, let it rest 5-10 minutes; it will thicken as it stands).

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