Light Pasta Salad

When it's hot and you don't feel like cooking, a pasta salad is right up on my list. The only "cooking" involved here is boiling the pasta. Since the salad is so simple however, it really benefits from the best ingredients. Here, we had some heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil from the garden, and a heavy-for-its-size lemon. Seasoning with salt and pepper is also really important.

Summer Italian Pasta Salad

1 lb whole-wheat rotini pasta
2 heirloom tomatoes
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1 fresh lemon
parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

Put your water on to boil with plenty of salt in the water. The water should be "salty as the sea". This is the only time to get flavor into your pasta.

Put the pasta in, and while cooking, prep your other ingredients. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized wedges. Roll up the basil leaves into a cigar shape and slice very thinly end to end. This is what is called "chiffonade". Roll the lemon firmly on your counter with the heel of your hand to get the juice flowing.

Cook your pasta to slightly more al dente than you would to pair it with a warm sauce. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and return the pasta to the pan over low heat, and add the tomatoes and basil. Grate about 1/4 cup of parmesan over the pasta, and add a couple tablespoons of the cooking water. Stir. Grate the lemon rind onto the pasta, cut the lemon in half, and juice it over the pasta. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to your preference. Stir and serve.

I really like the fresh flavors of the ingredients that came out. Next time I'll add more tomato just because I love it so much.