The weather here in the Mid-Atlantic is starting to turn cooler, but I’m just not ready to let go of the last shreds of summer.  So, before I delve into the earthy and warming flavors of autumn, I’ve got to give light, fresh, and vibrant one more go.  Make this on a fleeting warm October afternoon, or hold onto it to spring on friends and family (ha!) come April.  Or, let’s be honest, you can use this on a winter’s day to bring a little of the lazy days of Tuscan summer into the kitchen.  Just be aware that some of the ingredients are only going to be available from distant climes.

This recipe is fast, fast, fast.  After about 15 minutes of prep work, it comes together as a meal in less than 10 minutes in most cases.  The sauce literally takes 5 minutes to prepare, so start it when your pasta has about 5 minutes to cook.

Ingredients:

6 oz. (dry weight) long pasta – spaghetti, bucatini, linguini fini, etc.
1 dry pint grape or cherry tomatoes
8 oz frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, thawed with tails removed
1 lemon
6 large cloves garlic
4-5 basil tops, fresh
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp white sugar
salt
pepper

Cooking time: 6-12 minutes for pasta, depending on type, 5 minutes for sauce.

Set pasta pot with at least 4 qts. of cold water on high heat to boil.

Halve the grape tomatoes, or quarter cherry tomatoes and set aside.  Zest half the lemon and set aside, then juice the lemon, discarding any seeds.  Peel and coarsely chop the garlic cloves into about 1/8″ pieces.  Separate the basil leaves from the stems, roll sets of leaves into a cigar shape, and thinly slice cross-wise, then separate the ribbons.

When pasta water comes to a boil, add salt at the rate of 1 tsp per quart, then add the pasta and stir briskly.

Place a large saute pan over high heat, and add 2 tbsp of olive oil and wait until it starts to shimmer on the surface.  Add the garlic and saute briefly – just until it starts to soften and get aromatic, but before it begins to brown.  Immediately add the tomatoes and toss to combine.  Lower heat to medium-high to prevent burning.  When tomatoes begin to cook down and give up some of their juices (about a minute), add sugar and lemon juice, and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Turn heat back to high, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and thawed shrimp.  Toss to coat, and warm through.  When shrimp are heated through, add lemon zest and most of the basil (hold back a pinch or two to garnish), then toss to combine.  Immediately remove from heat.  The tomato and lemon juice should be reduced, concentrated, and thickened.

When cooked al dente, thoroughly drain the pasta and immediately serve into individual bowls, then top with the shrimp and tomato sauce.  Garnish each serving with a small pinch of basil.  Alternately, for larger groups, double the recipe, toss pasta with the sauce in a large bowl, garnish with basil, and serve at the table.

Serves 2.  Buon appetito!

Calories: about 630 per serving, and it’s filling.  The pasta and the olive oil are the killers here, but overall it’s a fairly healthy blend of carbs, protein, and monounsaturated fats.  Eat a reasonable portion, and there’s still room for a little sorbetto for desert.

Here’s an easy one – almost every community has a local or regional dairy, and farmers’ markets explode with fresh herbs and summer vegetables.  The Caprese Salad of tomato, mozzarella cheese, and basil with a vinaigrette dressing is a fantastic starter for a meal or side dish for a picnic.  If your farmers’ market has someone who’s selling a boutique buffalo mozzarella, grab it!

More refined versions of this dish call for olive oil only, and layers of sliced Roma tomato, cheese, and whole basil leaves.  This more rustic version is heartier and packs a bigger flavor wallop.  This salad is vegetarian, but not vegan.

Ingredients:

1 lb. assorted cherry tomatoes (red, orange, yellow, purple varieties)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese (part skim)
10-12 leaves fresh basil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Halve the cherry tomatoes.  If they’re large and/or oblong, cut them into pieces no more than 1/2 inch.

Slice the mozzarella 1/2 inch thick, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Rinse the basil leaves (BTW – they’re best picked from the pot you’ve got growing on the patio) and shake dry.  Pinch off the stem ends, stack, and roll into a tight little “cigar.”  Very thinly slice this cigar of basil cross-ways so that you get very fine ribbons.  Gently separate the ribbons with your fingers.  Congrats, you’ve just learned how to “chiffonade“, a valuable knife skill for leafy herbs.

Combine the tomatoes, cheese, and basil in a chilled glass (or ceramic) bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add oil and vinegar, and toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate at least 15-20 minutes before serving.

Very Simple.  Very fast.  Very Tasty.  Serves four.

Nutritional breakdown:

Tomatoes are very low calorie, and the tablespoon of olive oil is never completely consumed – about a third to half of it ends up left behind in the bowl.  The biggest “sin” here is the cheese, and there’s only two ounces per serving.  Plus, mozzarella’s a fresh cheese with a high water content.  Let’s break down what we’ve got in a bowl of the stuff (one quarter of the total recipe).

• 4 oz tomatoes: 20 kcal, vitamin A, vitamin C
• 1 1/2 tsp (maybe) of olive oil: 30 kcal, vitamin E, vitamin K, omega-6 fatty acids
• 2 oz mozzarella cheese: 142 kcal (168 for whole milk or buffalo), complete proteins, vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin B12, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium

Total calories: 192 for a 6 oz. serving.  Not bad.