Denise says:

The secret of very good Italian food lies in its simplicity and in using only the best quality ingredients you can buy. This dish is an excellent example of exactly this. Organic tomatoes on the vine, authentic Italian – made pasta with the deli counter olives as opposed to the tasteless tinned variety will provide a truly tasty Italian pasta experience.

Make this as a starter and served twirled on a small plate or as a larger portion for a main course lunch or dinner. Complete with a drizzle of Italian extra Virgin olive oil. Deciding which olive oil is best is like choosing which bottle of wine you prefer as it is a question of personal preference. However olive oils that are made in Tuscany and Umbria have an excellent range. They may vary in flavour from strong and fruity to peppery and even slightly bitter. If you have the opportunity do some experimenting!

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

400g dried or fresh linguine – use spaghetti if unavailable
6 vine-ripened tomatoes – preferable organic or from the garden! -skinned and deseeded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil – plus extra for drizzling
100g Marinated black olives
50g bag of wild rocket salad –( buy unwashed it is a lot cheaper!)
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper – to taste

Garnish
Finely chopped fresh chilli –optional
2 tablespoons extra Virgin Olive oil
Dusting of freshly ground black pepper

Method

1) Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil.
2) Plunge the tomatoes into a separate pan of boil of boiling water for 2 minutes. Pierce with a knife, then drain the water and remove the skins. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Roughly chop and set aside.
3) Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a bowl, add the rocket, olives and tomatoes. Season and set aside.
4) Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to the packet instructions or until al dente.
5) Drain and add the tomato mixture with the Parmesan cheese, tossing to coat.

To Serve the Stylish way: Add some finely chopped chilli and a drizzle of extra Virgin olive oil and a dusting of black pepper.
Tagged in: Dairy, Family Cooking, Italian, Pasta, Tomatoes, Vegetarian