summer pasta

In the summer, I try not to do much in the kitchen that will heat the house up unnecessarily. That usually means we grill out a lot, but there is one pasta dish that I make inside because it is so simple and easy to fix, oh, and it's delicious! The only "cooking" it requires is boiling water - all of the other ingredients are used raw. 

I combine halved grape tomatoes, diced garlic, lots of chopped basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, and I let that sit while the water bowls and when the pasta cooks.  

the simplest of ingredients

I like using either farfalle or rigatoni in this dish. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, I drain it, toss it in the same bowl with the tomato mixture, and combine it until the pasta is fully coated in tasty deliciousness. Topped with a little parmesan cheese and voila, you'll have the easiest yet fresh and savory pasta dish ever!

the finished product -
here we tossed in some
leftover spicy Italian sausage...yum!