summer pasta recipe to share

[gertdog]

We made this last night for a porch supper with guests. It was easy to put together and absolutely wonderful. A great showcase for perfect summer tomatoes! The Brie in this does a little magic trick... when tossed with the hot pasta, it melts and disappears, making a silky, delicious sauce. Our guests raved.

Warning... it is SO not light! If your tomatoes are extra-juicy you can cut way back on the amount of olive oil in here... I think I cut it by half.

Linguine with Tomatoes, Basil, and Brie
(from the Silver Palate Cookbook)

5 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into small irregular pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
several pinches of crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds linguine.

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a serving bowl large enough to hold the cooked pasta and sauce. Stir gently to combine. Set aside at room temperature for at least two hours.

Cook the the linguine in salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the tomato mixture. Toss gently to distribute the sauce. Serve immediately.

[kbucky]

Oooh, your recipe sounds so perfectly simple and delicious...thanks! BTW, I noticed you live in Ithaca (we are in Rochester)...I have to ask you for a restaurant review of Renee's American Bistro (I think that's the name!)...we are planning on heading over to Ithaca for a getaway weekend in the fall and someone mentioned Renee's...if you've been, what's it like? Anything else you'd recommend? I think we will be camping at Treeman, but most of our plans are up in the air.

[Peeps]

Oooo - this is SOOOO good - my brother made it for me last summer! I was in heaven until I inquired about the ingredients and he said "You take a cup of oil..." - I nearly fell out of my chair and had to restrain myself from eating any more (I'd already eaten a hefty portion!). BUT - it was worth it for a splurge, especially if you love Brie like I do.

[SandyM]

Surely all that oil isn't necessary - even 1/2 cup??? I'm thinking 1/4 cup or less would do - any thoughts from those who have had it???

[gertdog]

Sandy, you definitely don't need all the oil. I started with about 1/4 cup and then added a bit more (had an accident with the salt and had to drown it out :( ). I do have to say that I thought the sauced pasta would be incredibly oily even with 1/2 cup of oil, and it actually wasn't.

But I think this recipe could easily be adjusted to taste. You could probably reduce the Brie a bit too, since it ends up melting into the sauce. The main thing is to get all those wonderful flavors mingled together... tomatoes, basil, brie, garlic, olive oil.

Even with reductions, this recipe is definitely a splurge! :)



kbucky, I'm sad to tell you that Renee's has closed. Renee started a family and decided that running a restaurant was a bit much. She did, however, open a French pastry shop (her specialty) in the Community Corners shopping center here, so we're not totally deprived of her creations!

Other restaurants I'd recommend in Ithaca are Pangea, Just a Taste (wine and tapas), Glenwood Pines (best burgers; I taste-tested in my pre-vegetarian days), and Bistro Q. For more upscale food, try the Heights Cafe or Madeline's. Enjoy your visit!

[BlueMoose]

This sounds so good!

Look at it this way...you could cut back on the olive oil, then serve the pasta along with a salad with fat free dressing and some fresh fruit. The entire meal might end up being under 30% fat, right? Besides, with 1 1/2 lbs of pasta, it sounds like it makes a lot of servings!

[Luv to Cook]

Thank you Gertdog for this recipe! I made it last nite and it was so good! The changes I made were:

Halved the entire recipe, but kept the garlic and basil amounts the same. I decreased the oil to a couple of tablespoons and I roasted my tomatoes before adding them. I needed to heat it on the stove because I don't think my pasta was hot enough.

Anyways, I highly recommend this one!

Thanks!

Anita

[BlueMoose]

I'm making this tonight, and I can't wait to try it!

[lanie]

Just had to bring this back up for anyone who missed it - this has to be one of the most fantastic 'summer' pasta (or any time of year for that matter) recipes - it is so good - my husband just HATES pasta and has commented a couple of times how good this was - thanks Gertdog for a great recipe - it's a keeper, repeater, whatever - wonderful recipe!

Elaine ;)

I agree - great leftovers - warmed or cold - delicious!

[maizeyoats]

I just made the recipe for dinner and we really enjoyed it.
Even though I halfed the recipe we had a lot left over.
I am wondering how it will be cold as a left- over. I'll try it tomorrow.

[Luv to Cook]

I am wondering how it will be cold as a left- over. I'll try it tomorrow.

Maizeyoats,

I had alot left over as well. I didn't think I could eat it cold because it was too cheesy (like that could ever be a problem!). But, I nuked it for a few minutes and it was just as creamy as the night before!

Anita

[rpysher]

I loved this recipe. Made it a few times last summer and once this summer. Had a bunch left over and ate it all week. And yes, it is delicious cold.....

[linsleyd]

I wanted to bring this back up because it is just soooo good!
I made it as stated but I probably only used a quarter cup of olive oil and that was plenty.

I made it for guests and everyone was impressed. The smells of the basil and garlic and fresh tomatoes was just heavenly!

Definetly, Definetly recommend, and I can't wait to make it again with fresher tomatoes!