Garlic-Tomato Pasta with Peas

**Unless otherwise stated, I take NO credit for the creation of these recipes! I can cook, but I'm not usually inclined to experiment on my own!**

Garlic-Tomato Pasta with Peas

I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine

kosher salt

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

10 oz. angel hair pasta

1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus more for topping

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the edges start to turn golden, about 1 min. Add the tomato paste to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 min. Add the red pepper flakes, then add 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water, stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 min, adding the peas halfway through. Season with salt.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until softened but not cooked through, 2-4 min. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Add the pasta to the skillet along with the basil; toss over medium heat, adding more of the reserved cooking water if needed, until the pasta is al dente. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan. Top each serving with basil and the remaining parmesan.

THE VERDICT: This stuff was AMAZING. Next time I think we're going to skip the red pepper flakes since it was a bit too spicy for my taste, and Jake wasn't a huge fan of how many peas were in the pasta so we might cut back on those a bit as well. It didn't last us very long, so if you have a household of more than 2 people I highly recommend doubling the recipe!