Love Nest Cooking

Love Nest Fresh Tomato-Basil Pasta

Part of the week I live in a little home-away-from-home studio apartment while I work out of town. I'm blessed to have some flexibility in my beloved non-profit day-job, reporting to my office part of the week and working from home the remainder. When My Baby and I met we lived 96 miles apart and he had a dream house in the country, so that decision was easy. My office is now 96 miles away from my current home.

Gentle Reader, if you become squeamish at at too much explicit romance, please skip the next sentence. We call our cute little studio our "Love Nest", as we also use it as a stop-off point on weekend excursions, or if we are missing each other terribly, My Baby will come down for a mid-week rendezvous.
As cute as it is, the Love Nest kitchen is little and functionally but not fully equipped. I can count on sushi night with friends once a week or so, but being of the sort that requires feeding about every 6 waking hours, creative meal planning is a necessity with one bitty cupboard, a two burner stove, a bar sink and a fridge that only gets visited three days a week.
This little pasta dish is a summertime tomato-season favorite of mine, and is particularly handy in the Love Nest as it requires no special equipment beyond a burner and a pot. With this dish I can eat a mouth-watering, well-balanced, quick and easy meal in the time it takes to boil pasta.

Over the years, I've found ways to change this one up with some additions here and there, which are noted for your dining pleasure.

Love Nest Fresh Tomato-Basil Pasta

8 oz. of your favorite pasta (Any shape you love will do, but I am fond of good old spaghetti)

4-6 ripe tomatoes, depending on size (Don't even think of this if you have crunchy, pink grocery store tomatoes. They will not offer up enough tangy juice.)

A lot of fresh basil (I know, I'm likely to never write a cookbook with directions like this. This is where you must trust yourself. You really can't use too much basil in this application. 1/3 cup? 1/2 cup? Go for it.)

3-5 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and roughly chopped or pressed

4 oz. bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls) or tear bigger balls into bite-sized pieces

A hefty pinch red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2+ cup good olive oil

Put your salted pasta water on to boil. While it is heating, break the tomatoes apart with your hands over a large mixing/serving bowl. Let the juices and seeds collect in the bowl, and tear the flesh into generous bite-sized pieces.

With your hands, tear the basil into bits and toss into the bowl. Throw in the garlic, fresh mozzarella, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Pour the golden olive oil on top. It is my strong contention that anything made with the hand is magically better, so while your hands are already juicy, go ahead and sink them into the mix and give it a good toss.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, or to you personal liking, drain it and toss the hot pasta into the tomato mixture. The warm pasta will soften the mozzarella balls and lightly wilt the basil. Serve with dispatch, though the left-overs are just fine the next day as well.

Additional add-ins:

Handfuls of fresh spinach

Chopped anchovies

Capers

Fresh oregano

Roasted chicken bites

Grated Parmesan

Drizzles of your favorite vinegar (balsamic and white wine are especially good)