Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

Three ingredients, one hot pan, sixty seconds. That’s the whole recipe. Cherry tomatoes hit a screaming hot skillet with olive oil and blister until the skins just start to split, releasing their warm juices. A shower of fresh basil goes on right at the end so the leaves stay bright and fragrant instead of wilting into nothing.

The key is heat. Your pan needs to be seriously hot before those tomatoes go in. If the oil isn’t shimmering, you’ll end up steaming them into mush instead of getting that charred, blistered skin with a burst of warm juice inside. Shake the pan constantly rather than stirring with a spoon, so the tomatoes roll and blister evenly on all sides.

Serve these immediately. They lose their snap fast as they sit, and the skins go from pleasantly popped to wrinkled and sad within a few minutes. Pile them next to grilled lamb, roasted chicken, or toss over crusty bread with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Kitchen Tips

• Dry the tomatoes with a paper towel before they hit the pan. Surface moisture causes spattering in hot oil and prevents blistering.
• Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Work in batches if needed. Tomatoes touching each other steam rather than sear.
• Use the best olive oil you have. With only three ingredients, every one of them shows up in the final flavor.