Pasta Pauline

"A true homage to pasta"
In the best traditions, this recipe is merely a guideline. Variations encouraged and live on. Pauline & several friends have chosen different cheeses and pastas depending on the season and what is especially lovely is the dish then takes on their name. Pauline's secret is that if you taste as you stir, you will succeed--!!

Nov 7, 2017

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup and a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil
• At least 4 cloves of garlic (diced)
• 6 roma tomatoes (cut robustly, not quartered, but not quite diced)
• At least 6 ounces of feta cheese (I use Athenos traditional and prefer the natural crumbled)
• 1 box (16oz/1 pound) De Cecco Penne Rigate (no. 41) pasta
• Basil, preferably from Mike's garden, at least 2 dozen leaves cut into ribbons
• Salt and pepper

TASKS

Fill a 4 quart stock pan with water and place on stove to boil.
Add a bit of olive oil so pasta doesn't stick.
While water is brought to boil,
Pour 1.25 cup of extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a large bowl
Dice at least 4 cloves of garlic and stir into olive oil
Prepare roma tomatoes by cutting and then sprinkling with salt and pepper
Stir seasoned tomatoes into garlic olive oil mix
When olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper are well balanced, stir in feta cheese

Prepare basil and leave to the very last step.

When pasta is ready (Pauline suggests "al dente"), pour into a colander.
She doesn't suggest rinsing, but after water is separated from pasta, simply place it back into pot to keep warm.
With a large cooking spoon, I then place 4 - 6 full spoons of pasta into tomato/feta mixture, stir, and then repeat process.
She prefers this method as one can then gauge balance while stirring as one transfers pasta via spoon to mixture.

When you have obtained the balance you prefer, add in as much basil as you like.

Serves 6 adults and companions nicely with specialty sausages or simple mixed greens --- ENJOY.