Preparation

• Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them in a large bowl. Mince the garlic finely and add it to the tomatoes along with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and lemon zest. Stir everything together to combine, then let this mixture sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes—I prefer to let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the angel hair pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta well and set aside briefly.
• Add the warm drained pasta directly to the bowl with the tomato mixture from Step 1 and toss gently but thoroughly. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and the julienned basil ribbons, then toss again. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese on the side.