Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives and Fresh Mozzarella

I tried a wonderful new recipe for dinner tonight. It was fresh and perfect for a hot summer night. It seemed a little strange at first, because the sauce isn't cooked at all, but it is absolutely delicious!
Here it is. Enjoy.
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Basil, Olives and Fresh Mozzarella
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6), chopped
3/4 pound salted fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup halved and pitted black olives (I used Kalamata olives.)
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 cup olive oil (This may not look like enough, but it's plenty.)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used eight!)
DIRECTIONS
In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes with the mozzarella, basil, olives, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain,, add to the tomato mixture, and toss.
Heat the oil in a small frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Pour the oil over the pasta and toss again.
I didn't toss the pasta and tomato mixture together. I left them separate so that when we have leftovers, we can heat the pasta and still have the fresh tomato topping. Therefore, when I served it, I heaped a generous bunch of the tomato mixture on top of the pasta. Don't forget to dig to the bottom to dip out some of the vinegar for the pasta.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree. I made a couple changes/additions, though (I can't leave a recipe alone):
• used 1 c baby spinach and 1/2 c basil (husband is not fond of basil in large quantities)
• cooked out ~1/2 lb Italian sausage and added it with the oil
Combined everything and sent leftovers with husband for lunch the next day - equally good warmed up!