Turmeric-Butter Pasta With Tomatoes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

2. Step 2

   Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes into halves or quarters and finely chop or grate the garlic.

3. Step 3

   Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium. Once bubbling, stir in the garlic and turmeric, letting them sizzle and bloom until fragrant, 10 to 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are warmed through and just starting to cave in and become part of the butter sauce, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Step 4

   When the pasta is done cooking, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, letting it melt almost completely before adding the pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything very well, adding more pasta water as the sauce thickens and the pasta soaks it up, then turn off heat. Transfer to serving plates. Top with more black pepper and feta, if using.