Favourite: A quick pasta with garlic, tomato and mozzarella

A poor couples fancy summer pasta.

We are poor. We are moving at the end of the month (but haven't found an apartment yet, yikes!) and are trying to be prudent to make sure we have enough to cover the costs of moving; a new rent deposit, some furniture, a fridge (apartments in Berlin are rented out completely empty!) and of course the new rent.

This pasta dish is very cheap, fast and easy – and all the ingredients can be bought in Lidl :)

Quick cherry tomato pasta 

Two servings
250g cherry tomatoes, halved (44 cent, on sale)
1 ball of mozzarella (59 cent)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Olive oil (of high quality)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper
Fresh basil
Organic spaghetti (probably didn't cost much, either)

Boil water for the spaghetti and toss in the pasta as soon as you can. Heat a pan to medium heat and pour in olive oil generously. Add the sliced garlic and let it fry for a minute or so before tossing in the halved cherry tomatoes. Let them soften a little, then add the balsamic vinegar and let everything reduce a little, then add salt and pepper to taste – and maybe a pinch of sugar, if the reduction tastes sour.

When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and drop it back into the pot; pour a few table spoons of olive oil and some salt over it and stir, and plate the pasta.

Tear chunks of mozzarella by hand on top of the portions and finish with the cherry tomatoes, vinegary broth. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.