Katie Couric Says This Giada De Laurentiis 5-Star Summer Pasta Recipe Is "My Fave!!!"

Ina Garten will always and forever be our fave celebrity chef come peak summer produce season. We just can't quit 👏 her Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayo, and no-cook Summer Garden Pasta. But we're also open to new seasonal garden fare inspiration—especially when we're up to our knees on tomatoes from our CSA share and the prolific tomato container garden. Another fresh-minded chef, Giada De Laurentiis, answered our culinary prayers this week by sharing a dreamy summer dinner idea to put those extra tomatoes to delicious use.

"This marinated cherry tomato pasta is everything I love about summer food," @giadadelaurentiis says in the Instagram caption. She continues on her website, "Hardly any cooking, fresh ingredients, and vibrant flavor. The cherry tomatoes marinate with olive oil, lemon, shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes for hours until the flavors marry together. Tossed with fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, and your favorite pasta, it's such a bright and delicious way to eat pasta in the summer!"

Serve it warm or make-ahead, this is one dish that's "just as delicious on days 2 and 3 after hanging out in the fridge," De Laurentiis confirms.

That's right, the only cooking required for this Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta is to boil the noodles! No wonder fans have rated this worthy of 5 stars and Katie Couric chimed in on Instagram to say this dish is, "My fave!!! ❤️ 🍅 🍝 😍"

To make it, in a large bowl, simply combine boatloads of halved cherry tomatoes, a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil (De Laurentiis digs this brand), a couple of thinly-sliced shallots, minced garlic cloves, lemon zest, and juice, plus a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine, cover the bowl, and allow this to rest for 2 to 4 hours as you go about your day. Just before you're ready to dig in, add a box of pasta to a pot of boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the noodles, use tongs to mix them up with the marinated tomatoes, and garnish with a big pile of torn fresh basil and a handful of shaved Parmesan.

One fan who's tried this at home swears "this is a summertime staple in our house! We plant grape tomatoes specifically for this recipe. I've never made anything before that my family has requested so often. It's fine with store-bought tomatoes, but the home-grown ones are oh-so-good! I'd give this recipe 10 stars if I could!"

Another suggests subtracting some of the pasta and adding more vegetables (say, fresh corn kernels, extra of that Ina Garten roasted zucchini, or any other summer veggie) for an even more plant-forward feast. Any-and-all of the ways, we can't wait to add this Couric-approved creation, Marinated Cherry Tomato Pasta, to our dinner menu.