(As prepared and read by Alex Tuller for the July 21, 2005 podcast.)
Pasta
Fresh Feta
Purple Basil finely sliced
cherry tomatoes
salt & pepper
I don’t use amounts for this, I just use whatever I have.
Boil water, add salt once boiling. Add pasta, I use gemelli because I like it, but penne or bow ties work just as well. While the pasta is cooking, I put the cherry tomatoes on the grill for a few minutes so the skin is slightly charred. If you don’t have the grill going, put them under the broiler for a few minutes. Then chop up the tomatoes and dump the whole lot of them, skin, juice, stuff into a nice big serving bowl.
When pasta is al dente, drain it, but do not rinse. Add it to the tomatoes and toss. Then add the feta, crumbling it with your fingers as you add to the pasta, add basil, salt and pepper, then toss around and serve with a nice crusty bread. I think this would be perfect with a Provencal rose.