When the summer farm stands are spilling over with ripe tomatoes and bunches of fragrant basil, dinner practically makes itself. All you need to do is tear some juicy tomatoes with your hands and toss them in a bowl with prepared pasta, creamy burrata, and a no-cook sauce of olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then top everything with basil. Nothing could be easier or taste more like summer. (Don’t bother with this recipe in the winter, though; out-of-season tomatoes aren’t nearly flavorful enough to carry the dish.)
Serves 2
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces short pasta (such as campanelle)
2 tomatoes
1/2 pound burrata or fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves, for serving
In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and toss with oil mixture. Tear tomatoes and cheese, scatter over pasta. Garnish with basil leaves and sprinkle with pepper.
