Everybody must have a favorite version of this easy supper for a hot summer night. Here’s mine:
Tomatoes fresh from the garden
Basil
Generous amount of olive oil, maybe about 1/3 cup
Salt & Pepper
Linguini or spaghetti
Optional: minced garlic added to tomato mixture, crumbled Feta or fresh mozzarella cubes as a topping before serving
Dice the tomatoes into a bowl. Add a generous amount of torn fresh basil leaves. Add salt (this draws juices from the tomatoes and makes part of the “sauce”). Add a generous amount of olive oil — it becomes the second part of the sauce. If you are using it, add the minced garlic.
Let this sit on your kitchen counter for a couple of hours to exchange flavors while you sip iced tea in front of the fan.
When you are ready to eat, cook the pasta and drain, then stir hot pasta into the tomato mixture. The heat from the pasta warms the sauce and releases the fragrance of the basil.
For a more substantial meal, crumble feta or toss fresh mozzarella cubes on top of the pasta.