Tomato Pasta

This is by far one of my favorite side dishes!! But, as I'm sure you have noticed from my other recipe posts, I LOVE just about anything with tomatoes and fresh basil!!!

What you need:

• 3 cups pasta, cooked and kept warm (I mostly use Rotini, in this case whole grain, but I also like it with whole grain spaghetti)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped large (I prefer red onion with this dish but I use white onion when I don't red available)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing (if you don't have this you could use 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and a little salt & pepper)
• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped large
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

How to make it:

Cook garlic, onion, and dressing in medium saucepan until softened (approx. 2 minutes). Add tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes. Toss in remaining ingredients. Serve warm.

It is recommended that you keep the cooked pasta warm but I also know what it is like to work all day and then have to prepare a meal at night. So, you can prepare all of the items ahead of time. You will just need to either warm the pasta some before using or cook the dish a little longer after adding the pasta (this could over cook the basil and tomatoes so be careful).