Tomato Pasta Salad

I could eat tomatoes everyday.  I just love them. Not only do they taste wonderful, but they are red! Love making dishes with color in them.   This pasta salad has many variations like all other recipes I make.  This dish was inspired by one that The Barefoot Contessa makes.  Everything she makes is wonderful. This is a very light and healthy dish.  One that will not make you feel bloated and miserable after eating. This dish calls for angel hair pasta which I am not a fan of. I never can seem to cook angel hair pasta right. So I am using just thin spaghetti in this dish.  Also, I usually always use whole wheat in any pasta dish I make because whole wheat pasta has more fiber, is lower in sugar and just healthier to eat.  But you can choose whatever pasta you want.  This dish is wonderful with any of them.  I used regular egg pasta here just for photographic purposes.

Ingredients: 4 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved; 5 garlic cloves minced (or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic); 1 pound of thin spaghetti, 1/2 cup of good olive oil ( I love the taste of Filippo Berio), 20 fresh basil leaves,  salt and pepper to taste and 1 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese or more to taste.

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.Put tomatoes, olive oil, minced garlic and basil leaves in a non-reactive bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for up to 4 hours

3. Right before serving bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add 2 tablespoons to water and then add pasta.  Adding salt to the boiling water right before you put the pasta in is the only way to season the pasta.  I go very light on the salt.  It's up to you  how much salt you want to use.  Cook pasta al dented according to the directions on the package.  Drain pasta well.  After draining the pasta you can add the cheese now and let it melt within the pasta before adding the tomatoes or wait and add the cheese last.  I do both ways.

4. Put the past in a very large bowl and pour the tomatoes over the pasta.  Stir well.  Garnish with extra cheese or basil leaves if desired. Also add salt and pepper to taste. Remember, if you are using parmesan cheese, it is a salty cheese so be sure to taste the dish before adding  more sale.

This dish is meant to be served as a cold pasta salad, but I enjoy it warm also.

Enjoy!