Can I even call this a recipe?! Leftover plain cooked pasta, some tomatoes that you have on hand, and a few other ingredients can easily be transformed into a fast and delicious meal. This red and almost-white Tomato & Pasta Dinner was not only tasty and satisfying, but a festive touch on Canada Day today.

It’s been a gorgeous day here for Canada Day celebrations (happy 158th, Canada!), but it’s been low-key and relaxing for me. I took a run out to the farm market I frequent this afternoon, and that put me in the mood to cook myself a nice dinner. But I really wanted something easy and fast, to use up some things that needed eating. And from that my favourite kind of cooking—just working with what’s on hand and without a recipe—happened.

I hope that describing my process (which is going to take me longer than it actually did to make the meal) will be helpful to you when you’re faced with leftovers.

Tomato & Pasta Dinner, Fast

I had just a single serving of cooked but undressed pasta (farfale) hanging out in the fridge, a small wedge of onion, and a pint of grape tomatoes that had been sitting on the counter for several days. It was all fine, but needed to be used.

I put a tablespoon or two of good olive oil in my cast iron pan over medium heat to warm while I finely minced the onion. Let’s call it a Goldilocks portion—not too little, but not too much. I got the onion into the oil , turned the heat a bit lower, and let it go, stirring from time to time.

While the onion got happy, I rinsed and halved about three-quarters of the tomatoes. I could have used the whole pint, but the proportion of what I sliced just seemed right—there’s no science here. (If you have a whole tomato on hand, cut it into large cubes.) Into the pan the tomato went, along with a pinch or two of salt and freshly ground pepper (no measurement). And then out to my expansive garden (the planter and pots on the balcony) for some basil and Italian parsley. My dream of stepping out there to snip fresh herbs for dinner came true! (But I could as easily have used some dried herbs from the cupboard.)

I kept an eye on the tomatoes and the heat fairly low, stirring a little more frequently and trying to keep the cut sides down to help them release their juices. When the tomatoes were breaking down, I stirred in the pasta. Then I remembered that I had a bottle of white wine in the fridge with perhaps three ounces in it. A bit of that went into the pan, to add some zing and prevent the dish from drying out, along with the roughly chopped parsley. While it was all heating through, I got fancy and chiffonaded the basil. I like how those little ribbons of green look!

And Voila …

Plating was fast too. I just tipped everything out of the pan into a shallow bowl and sprinkled the basil over top. If I had Parmesan cheese, I would have used it too, but the dish made me quite happy just as it was.

There you have it … a tomato and pasta dinner, fast! In about 25 leisurely minutes or so, a festive and delicious dinner with a Canada Day red and white vibe came together. (I think this may rival one of Jamie Oliver’s quick dinners!) It was all about the process, avoiding waste and yes, having a good meal to enjoy (along with the couple of ounces of wine that were left). This is the kind of intuitive, going-with-the-flow cooking that makes the kitchen a fun place to be.

More Quick and Easy Meals

If you’re looking for more dinners that seem to make themselves, check out Halibut Poached in Vegetable Broth, Chicken, Tomatoes and Cannellini Beans, and Sausage, Potato, and Onion Dinner.

^{Published 2025 07 01}