Heirloom tomatoes, basil, garlic scapes and fusilli
A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins. ~Laurie Colwin
One of the few concessions I make to "cooking" during the summer is boiling water for pasta or grains. Roasted vegetables are a staple part of my diet for most of the year, but during the summer, they morph into tomatoes, basil and garilc. I often make a large batch during the weekend then pack it in for lunch during the week.
This "recipe" is so simple it's really more of a guideline. The ingredients are the star. The farmer's market is the perfect place to pick up the produce. It doesn't matter what type of tomato you use as long as they are delicious - feel free to use a mix of different varieties. During the early summer I've been substituting garlic scapes for cloves - mostly for fun and ease. Dial ingredients up or down according to your personal taste.
Summer Tomatoes, Basil and Pasta
Serves 4
4 med - large ripe tomatoes (I used heirloom tomatoes, but use the tastiest tomatoes available - beefsteak, garden or grape. If you use smaller ones, just use more)
1 cup chopped basil
2-3 cloves of chopped garlic or 1 garlic scape
1 lb whole wheat pasta
1 cup olive oli
1/3-1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
- Semi-fill a large pot with water and put over high to boil.
- Dice garlic and place in a large bowl with olive oil
- Chop tomatoes into bite size pieces
- Remove stems from basil and chop leaves into shreds
- Combine tomatoes and basil with olive oil and garlic
- Boil pasta when water is ready
- Drain pasta when ready. Combine into bowl. If your bowl's not big enough, mix everything in the pasta pot.
- Add parmesan, salt and pepper.
Enjoy summer's bounty!
What I ate: 1/2 bagel, coffee + milk, heirloom tomatoes + basil + pasta, parmesan cheese, cherries, macadamia nuts, 40 oz. water
Exercise: none
