In my crazy-young-reckless years living in Los Angeles, I was a stage manager for a play. I was also the lighting person, casting assistant, script supervisor, and anything else no one else wanted to do. I was a real go-getter, ya know.
I was treated to this delicious brie recipe by one of the actors who I had a crush on. He looked like a young Peter Krause (just to give you an idea of what we’re dealing with here). We’d sit backstage and talk and giggle about who knows what. I was sure he and I were destined to be together.
He invited me over for dinner and said he was serving a brie pasta. In my head: crickets were chirping.
I thought it sounded like a weird dish. Don’t people eat brie with crackers and fruit? I had never tried brie and I wasn’t much of a cook back then. But I, too, had some acting training. So, I mustered up my best Oscar winning performance in the category of: Best Actress Showing Excitement Over Weird Pasta Dishes.
I batted my eyelashes, hand on hip, while pretending to drop a pen.
Why yes, I would love to come over and eat brie pasta with you, you hunk! He and I would be slurping our spaghetti strands until we were immersed in a lip-lock, like in the movie Lady and The Tramp. I would be the Tramp, of course. 😉
Woah, wait a minute. He says I can bring my best friend, too? I was hoping for a romantic dinner but sure, okay. I could use a wing-gal. His apartment was a block away from mine – this would be quite convenient for our impending romance. When my bestie and I arrived, he opened the door and introduced us to another cute guy: his live-in boyfriend. Well, sh…hooot. The story of my LA life.
But hey – I got this yummy, creamy brie recipe from him and it was totally worth having to sulk back to my apartment, still single in the city. I really did have a great time that night. They were both great guys.
The hunk and I would’ve had cute kids though. Just sayin’.
Dear Hungry Husband: If you’re reading this, I’m sooooo super duper glad it didn’t work out with that guy!
Here ya go…the infamous brie recipe!
Print
Spaghetti With Brie, Tomato, And Basil
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces (I prefer the large beefsteak tomatoes but any really large tomato will do. If you can only find small/medium tomatoes, you will need more than 4)
- 4–6 cloves fresh garlic, mashed through a garlic press or finely minced
- 1 cup packed fresh basil, julienne cut (thin strips)
- 1 pound brie (although I sometimes use the President Brie wheel and that is 19 oz.)
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds uncooked spaghetti
- Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- In large Dutch oven or stock pot, combine tomatoes, garlic, and basil.
- Remove rind from Brie using a knife or a peeler. Once rind is removed, tear brie apart using your hands into small 1 inch pieces. Add brie to pot.
- Add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover pot with lid and let marinate right on kitchen counter for about 5-6 hours. You don’t want to put it in the fridge because the cheese will get too cold (assuming your home temperature is a fairly normal temp and not too hot. If it’s above 80 in your home, I would put it in the fridge and then take out of fridge about 1 hour before using).
- If possible, stir once about 1/2 way through marinating time.
- When it’s time to eat, boil salted water and cook pasta according to package directions. When cooked, drain pasta water and add pasta to Brie mixture. Stir thoroughly until cheese is melted.
- Serve with sprinkled Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, if desired.
Notes
More great recipes at www.thekitchensnob.com
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This has too much salt in it! Yuk! I would try it again with 1/4 teaspoon of salt then add more if you want. I love the tomatoes. Fresh basil is tasty.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the dish. The salt is meant to help the tomatoes to release as much of their juices as possible while they’re marinating. That’s what makes them so tasty in my opinion! But definitely try with less if this was too much for you.
I also think salt is hard to gauge (as a recipe creator) if you’re someone who is on a low-salt diet or just doesn’t use a lot of salt generally, because then you’re more sensitive to salt. I tend to like a good amount of salt on dishes and find the amount in the recipe is perfect to bring out all the flavors in the sauce.
Why does it sit all day? Can I just add the spaghetti after the cheese is melted through?
I am hoping to make this as a weeknight meal for my family
Hi Karen. Th reason it sits all day is because the tomatoes marinate in the olive oil/garlic/basil mixture which flavors them immensely and the tomatoes end up being the best part! If you didn’t let them sit all day the tomatoes would taste bland and the dish wouldn’t be as good overall. It’s worth it, I promise!
Wow! another yummy spaghetti recipe and I like it with tomato and basil. Thanks for this wonderful recipe again.
I, too, enjoy eating food so good it makes my eyes roll back in my head, so I usually make my own foods, lol. I know what I like, I know how spicy (or not) I want it, and and really like trying different things such as this. I never thought of putting brie with spaghetti, but now am going to get on that. Good thing I’m single and retired and live alone so I can make that right now if I want to, even though it’s 3:30 a.m.
Thanks for your comment, Joyce. Let me know how it turns out!
Thank you for posting. Can this be reheated successfully?
Hi Susan! Yes, it can be reheated. But personally I don’t think it’s quite as good reheated. I think the reason for this is that when you reheat it, it starts to cook the basil and tomatoes and it gives it a different flavor than when it’s uncooked. I still reheat mine all the time though because I don’t want it to go to waste. So basically I’m saying it’s good reheated, but not AS good. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Having personally had this more than once with you in LA, I can testify about how GOOD this recipe is, dear God! I’ve pestered you for it several times and now I’m glad I found it and Pinned it. I loathe tomatoes (I push them aside) yet I STILL adore this recipe and wouldn’t change a thing…that’s saying something!
Thanks for your comment! Sorry – I really thought I had given you the recipe! Oh yes, the tomatoes are the best part – after soaking in that garlic and basil all day…mmmmmmmmmmm. 🙂
You know how much I LOVE this pasta & no one makes it as good as you do, so I’m going to need you to come over here and make it for me. Bonus: You can use my organic heirloom tomatoes that are growing in my very own garden!!
So do I just pick up my plane ticket at “will call”?
Oh la la, what a great pasta recipe! Loving those tomatoes and fresh basil too! YUM! Pinned.
Thanks! I could eat tomatoes and fresh basil with everything!
That just sounds like a delicious recipe AND what a great
story about how you obtained the recipe! What fun!
Going to try this soon.
It’s sooo good. Probably The Hungry Husband’s favorite! I’d love to hear if you try it and how it turns out.