Light. Perfect.

Summer is nearing its end, but, thanks to the global food trade, we don't have to stop eating like it's summer. A cursory glance at Wikipeda provides a reliable description of California Cuisine, a summery fashion of food in regard to which the title adjectives are usually fitting. Perhaps my favorite example of it is what I've come to know as The Perfect Summer Pasta.


A few months ago I had my first appropriate experience with The Perfect Summer Pasta, prepared near sunset in a kitchen with open windows on a cool, western evening. Pleasantly aromatic meals are the perfect compliment to such an environment, where a sun-warmed breeze through the kitchen washes over you the scent of fresh basil, at which point you no longer feel that life is of air conditioning and the internet, but rather of bright oceans and mountains the sun dips behind at evening. That's the way basil makes me feel, anyway.

The present recipe contains two (easily removable) editions to the original: mozzarella and roasted tomatoes, the former to provide an occasional burst of saltiness and the latter to coat the thin strands of pasta in sweet tomato and provide a bit of texture.

The Perfect Summer Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound vermicelli
2 1/2 pounds well-ripened roma tomatoes
4oz fresh mozzerella, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 tightly packed tablespoons fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 230 degrees. Core and halve 2lbs of the tomatoes, roast for 4 hours or until reduced in size by half. Core, seed and dice the remaining 1/2lb of tomatoes and set aside.
2. Add mozerella, garlic, basil and salt to diced tomatoes.
3. Carefully slice roasted tomatoes, saving any juice that escapes. Add slices and juice to a bowl, then break apart further using the back of a fork.
4. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil, cook vermicelli until tender, about seven minutes. Drain, set in large serving bowl and coat with olive oil.
5. Fold in roasted tomatoes and juices.
6. Fold in mozzerella, garlic, basil and diced tomatoes.
7. Sprinkle with pepper and serve while pasta is warm.