The name of this does not do it justice. It is possibly my favorite way to eat pasta. At least for the moment. The lemon zest really makes the flavor pop. I hope you try it!
Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes and Summer Herbs
serves 6-8
Ingredients
About 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
Salt
3 cans olive oil-packed tuna or 1 pound mozzarella cheese, diced (optional) (you can also used water-packed tuna, too, but pour on half the oil from below, and toss, to help moisten the tuna)
6 tablespoons capers (optional)
â…” cup chopped fresh herbs (our favorite combination is a bit of basil, parsley, mint, and cilantro. You could also use chives or scallion tops), more for garnish
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (up to you how much; this is YOUR pasta salad)
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound short pasta, like fusilli, farfalle or penne
aleppo red pepper flakes (optional, but really tasty)
½ cup toasted almonds
Directions
Up to 4 hours before serving, put tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle all over with 1 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside for 30 minutes, at least.
Add tuna and its oil, and capers. Add herbs and zest. Add olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and stir gently, flaking tuna into pieces. Cover and set aside at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain very well. Combine tomatoes and pasta well, then taste and add more oil, salt and pepper to taste. Add aleppo if desired. Sprinkle with almonds, and chopped herbs. Serve immediately.