Ever wonder why some people act sneaky when they’re mad instead of just saying it? Well, that’s called being passive-aggressive. If your partner is doing the whole passive-aggressive dance, don’t freak out; your relationship isn’t automatically in the dumps. According to Dr. Amelia Kelley, a therapist, this tricky behavior is quite normal, especially when there’s some dysfunction or bad vibes built up.

Some signs to look out for are sarcastic deep-cutting “jokes,” gaslighting, playing the “victim card,” ignoring you, giving you the cold shoulder, blaming you for everything, and holding things against you.

According to Dr. Kelley, being passive-aggressive is often a mirror reflecting their insecurities and fear of facing confrontation. Yet, there are scenarios where passive-aggressive behavior stems from a desire for self-preservation or emerges from fear and hopelessness.

To confront this, begin by acknowledging it in a composed, assertive tone. You can use “I” statements to help prevent your partner from feeling under siege. Rather than playing the blame game, observe and describe the situation.

If you’ve ever felt the sting of the silent treatment, the isolation can be overwhelming, leaving you feeling like even your nearest and dearest doesn’t acknowledge your emotions. True intimacy thrives when partners can be present for each other’s emotions, even the challenging ones, forming a bridge far from loneliness.

If calmly expressing your observations doesn’t yield results, seeking outside help is a sensible option, and there’s no shame in it. Even strong relationships can benefit from couples therapy, offering valuable tools for more proficiently expressing feelings and minimizing the likelihood of passive-aggressive behavior.

A great way to utilize cherry tomatoes is by transforming them into uncomplicated pasta dinners. The remarkable combination of tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, basil, and pasta will certainly spark anyone’s culinary curiosity. The tomatoes in this recipe are not cooked and make up a quintessential pasta sauce for the summer season.

The brilliance behind this method lies in allowing the cooked pasta’s residual heat to gently warm the tomatoes, preserving their fresh, raw, garden-fresh flavor. The recipe accommodates the use of either halved cherry tomatoes or large tomatoes. Before mashing the tomatoes, it is essential to squeeze out any excess water to prevent an overly runny or watery sauce. Once all the ingredients are combined, the sauce should be covered and refrigerated for up to eight hours. Preparing the sauce in the morning and allowing it to meld until dinner time is optimal, but even a 15-minute resting period will suffice.

After the sauce has had ample time to come together, it is advisable to taste and adjust the flavor to accommodate the varying levels of sweetness and acidity in the tomatoes. Additional honey, balsamic vinegar, or fresh lemon juice can be added as necessary, and it is possible to enhance the sauce with briny and salty ingredients such as minced anchovies, capers, or chopped olives, but such additions are not obligatory. Also, the chunks of butter will melt when combined with the cooked pasta, resulting in a luxuriously glossy sauce.

It is important to note that this particular pasta sauce is not intended for reheating. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare only the amount that will be consumed. The recipe can be halved or doubled according to individual needs.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan 1 clove garlic, grated 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 zested and juiced lemon 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 pound long pasta 1 1/2 cups torn basil leaves

Cut the tomatoes so the excess water, seeds, and innards get released into a bowl. Discard these elements and chop the tomato into 1-inch pieces. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes.

Add the garlic, Parmesan, butter, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to the mashed tomatoes and mix the ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until it reaches the desired texture. Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the bowl with the tomato mixture. Taste the pasta and season accordingly with additional salt and black pepper. Incorporate the basil, and the pasta should be ready for serving!