Cherry Tomato Lumache Rigate

If you are a fan of dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc, this is a great pasta pairing. The tomatoes are already very acidic so you only need a splash of wine. The flavors balance out with plenty of creamy parmesan and a ton of fresh herbs.

If you want to make this dish vegan, I recommend using vegan butter and dairy-free cheese to maintain that balance. Olive oil alone might not be enough.

You can truly use any pasta with this but I prefer lumache rigate or rigatoni because the larger pieces of cherry tomato get trapped in the noodles, thus distributing evenly throughout the bowl, instead of sinking to the bottom.

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3-4 shallots, sliced thin

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 containers heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes

kosher salt

16 oz. lumache rigate

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup basil, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup parmesan

freshly ground pepper

Mise en place: chop parsley, basil, tomatoes, garlic, and thinly slice shallots. This will make assembly and plating much easier.

1. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee shallots until caramelized, around 15 minutes. Lower the heat slightly to avoid burning. Season with red pepper, salt, and pepper. Add garlic and stir frequently to avoid burning. Heat until fragrant.

2. Add tomatoes and stir to avoid burning. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add white wine and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Cook pasta until al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructs. Reserve about a cup of pasta water before draining. Combine with tomatoes, dilute with a splash of pasta water. Add herbs and cheese and stir until combined. Allow about a minute for everything to come together and for the pasta to finish cooking.

5. Serve with chopped herbs, chili flakes, and more cheese. Enjoy with a glass of Sancerre or whichever wine you used in cooking.