Penne with Fresh Tomato, Basil and Garlic

This was so good, perfect for summer since you don't have to stand over a hot stove cooking lots of stuff. The cheese got nice and warm, the tomatoes were tender and the pasta was just so nice in the middle of it all. I urge anyone who actually reads this to make this recipe!

Ingredients:

30 g (1/4 cup) uncooked whole-wheat penne

1 medium ripe tomato

4-6 fresh basil leaves

1 and 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove finely chopped garlic

salt to taste, plus more for pasta water

black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup diced fresh mozzarella (optional)

you'll also need:

a medium mixing bowl

small pot of salted water

pasta strainer

1. roughly chop the tomato after cutting out the stem end, and put it in the mixing bowl. Hypothetically, you could also peel and de-seed the tomato, but I can't see why you'd want to.

2. tear the basil leaves into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Put in the garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. The mixture has to stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes; don't refrigerate it.

3. bring the pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta, making sure the cooking time will allow your sauce to sit for long enough.

4. cook the pasta according to package directions until it's al dente. Drain it well in the strainer.

5. add the cooked pasta to the bowl with the sauce, and toss gently to mix. If using, add the mozzarella and toss again. Serve your pasta for one and eat it while it's warm.





I got this recipe from Serves One.