Pasta And Tomatoes An Ideal Pair

It’s no secret that pasta is the tomato’s perfect partner. One of our favorite supper dishes is pasta dressed with an herb vinaigrette and a selection of diced tomatoes. The dish is light, quick and very easy to make, as the only cooking needed is to briefly boil the pasta. Although it’s a salad, you can enjoy it warm or cold.

I love to play with the salad’s colors and flavors. Sometimes I use tomato pasta (either spirals or noodles) and red tomatoes, both fresh and sun-dried. On other occasions, I use plain egg noodles and yellow tomatoes. For a wildly colorful result, I use every hue of tomatoes that I have along with tri-colored pasta.

Triple Tomato Pasta Salad

For a richer salad, add cubes of 1 large ripe avocado, 1 to 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, or 1 cup small dice of feta, fontina or mozzarella cheese.

8 ounces dried tomato spirals or fusilli, tomato noodles or tri-colored noodles

4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon herb vinegar or wine vinegar

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried leaf, crumbled

Cook pasta, uncovered, in large pan of boiling salted water over high heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Add 1/4 cup oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add fresh and dried tomatoes.

A short time before serving, add chives, parsley and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more oil if needed. Serve warm or cool.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: The sun-dried tomatoes are packed in a flavorful oil; you can use 1 or 2 tablespoons of it for part of the dressing as long as you leave enough oil in the jar to cover the remaining tomatoes.