It’s hot. I mean, around here the temperature is hovering in the low to mid thirties (that’s Celsius, for all you Imperial folk out there), and I am LIVING FOR my AC right now. So the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven, and heat up the house. But the other side of me, the adultier side, is argumentative, and likes to point out that I can’t live on peanut butter sandwiches forever, and sometimes a more impressive sacrifice sustenance is required.

So, last night after mumbling to myself a lot and whining (a lot-lot), I wandered through my refrigerator and vegetable crisper drawers (AKA where Vegetables Go To DIE), and I came up with this pasta sauce that takes almost no time and only two stove burners…one for the boiling pasta, and one for the sauce.

The sauce recipe was simple, easy to put together, versatile (ha!) with what I had available at the moment, and as quick as boiling my pasta. Oh, and it was GOOOOOD. I mean, OMG delicious let-me-lick-the-bowl-I-may-die-if-I-eat-any-more-but-am-willing-to-risk-it kind of good.

As always, feel free to sub out the veggies for ones you prefer or have on hand, and add as much or as little in the way of herbs and spices as your little heart desires.

Boursin, Scape and Burst Tomato Pasta

YIELD: 4 servings | PREP: 5 mins | COOK: 10-12 minutes

• 2 cups /300g fresh cherry or grape tomatoes
• 2 tbsp/30mL olive oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and sliced thinly
• 3 garlic scapes, trimmed and sliced into short lengths
• 2 tbsp/22g Boursin cheese, flavoured
• 1 tsp/5mL soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tsp/5mL Worcestershire sauce
• 6 medium-sized fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (optional)

1. Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Add pasta of choice (spaghetti or linguine work well) and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of hot pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large frypan (cast-iron is best) unoiled on medium-high heat until very hot; add tomatoes and allow them to blister and blacken on all sides, shaking pan occasionally to turn the tomatoes, about 5 minutes.
3. Add olive oil, shallots and scapes, and stir vigorously, coating on all sides. Stir in soy and Worcestershire sauces, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until charred tomatoes have liquefied and burst; you can speed this process up by firmly but carefully pressing upon the tomatoes that have not yet burst with a spatula (watch out for hot squirty tomato love action!)
4. Lower heat to medium-low and stir in Boursin cheese; add basil and stir in until well-combined. Taste for salt, pepper, and other spices.
5. With tongs or a pasta server utensil, transfer hot pasta to sauce and mix in until strands are well-coated; use reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve hot with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese on top.