Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes

Although it's hard to imagine growing tired of eating cherry tomatoes right off the vine, here's a super-quick way to give them more gravitas: moving from salad to side dish or sauce. The heat intensifies the flavor of the cherry tomatoes, so a quick sauté brightens even tomatoes that are out of season or from a long way away. Of course, go for utterly ripe, local, and organic if you can.

Active time: 4 minutes. Total time: 4 minutes. Serves 4.

Recipe ingredients

2 cloves garlic
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil

Recipe method

1. Mince garlic. Rinse cherry tomatoes and towel-dry to avoid splatters when the water and hot oil interact.
   
   
   
   
2. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes when oil is hot.
3. Cook tomatoes, stirring frequently, until warmed through and a few start to split, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve hot or at room temperature as a side dish or tossed with hot angel-hair pasta.
   
   

Recipe tips and notes

• Mix and match different colors and sizes of cherry tomatoes to add interest without extra work.