Simple Side Sophistication

Trust me ... You wish this was a scratch & sniff because of the rich scents of fresh basil and garlic. This is by far the most well-liked and asked for recipe I make.

A Bunch Of Fresh Basil

5 Cloves Of Fresh Garlic (not from a jar)

6 Roma Tomatoes (large chunks)

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil (good flavor & least processed)

Salt & Pepper (I use Jonny's seasoning salt)

Mozzarella Cheese (large chunks)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl in the morning and leave covered on the counter all day to marinate. (pictured below) Stir a few times throughout the day. Amounts can vary according to the number of people you will be feeding and how fond you are of the ingredients. Above are what I use for a full bag of pasta feeding 8 people and it gives me a few servings of leftovers. (leftovers are gold)

Right before you are ready to eat cook some penne pasta, as directed on the bag. Drain and toss the hot pasta into the colorful marinade to warm the goodness and melt the cheese. Large chunks of cheese are great because if they only partially melt it's amazing to cheese lovers. The tomatoes need to be large chunks so that they don't get smooshy in the hot pasta and it makes them easy to pick out for those that don't like tomatoes. Even if people don't like tomatoes add them in any way because the juice adds flavor to the marinade and the red color is beautiful in the dish.

If you need more oil or seasoning add it while you are combining the marinade and hot pasta. Serve immediately to retain color and textures.