Sasha's Kitchen: Pasta Tomato Medley

I made this lovely pasta dish last week.  It was was excellent, but I kept thinking that it is really a dish for the summer.  As good as it was with fresh tomatoes that I was able to secure in the dark of winter, it would have been amazing with summer yellow tomatoes, or with fresh heirloom tomatoes.  Still, it was a satisfying pasta dish that made enough for two nights easily.  I've been under a bit of stress lately with things going on in my life, so this was just the meal we needed - nice and easy, but still filling, healthy and delicious with lots of leftovers.  This dish was inspired by and very loosely adapted from a recipe that I found for tomato-angel hair pasta in Marcus Samuelsson's cookbook, New American Table

Pasta Tomato Medley 
1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
3 on the vine red tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 shallots, diced
1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup arugula, chopped
1/2 tsp black   pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
grated parmesan cheese

Place the fresh tomatoes in a large bowl with the sea salt and allow to sit for 45 minutes.  Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, rinse and set aside.  To make the sauce, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the garlic, red bell pepper and shallots and cook until softened, three to four minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Cook for five minutes.  Toss the pasta, the salted tomatoes, arugula, pepper, oregano and red pepper flakes in the saute pan and heat until warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan sprinkled on top.