Small Bites

Once summer comes, you won’t want to miss preparing this wonderful recipe that uses the best of the tomato harvest. Our wine expert-in-residence, Andrea Kish, gave it to me for a story I did on heirloom tomatoes back in 2006.

Check out our new wine feature, Mixed Case, that appears in print today and online on LoHud.com. Kish and her husband, Tony Russo, who own Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains, are helping us with its debut.

For the next 12 Wednesdays in Life&Style, we’ll feature a wine they’ve chosen, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. (Their first recommendation, a Beaujolais, Chateau du Bois de la Salle Julienas 2010, will be great with ham for Easter.) At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices assembled by Kish and Russo. Then we’ll introduce a new expert.

Now, on to the recipe. It’s a keeper!

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Brie

Andrea Kish says this is great when made just with ordinary garden ripe red tomatoes, but spectacular when you add the rainbow of colors and flavors from the heirlooms. She recommends freshly grown garlic, too.

4 large (1 pound or more) heirloom tomatoes in an assortment of colors
1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into irregular piece
1 cup cleaned fresh basil leaves cut into strips (use both red and green if you have them)
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pasta in your favorite shape to hold the juices of the sauce

Combine tomatoes, brie, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving and set aside, covered, at room temperature. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the pasta and boil until tender but al dente.

Drain pasta and immediately toss with the sauce. The hot pasta will melt the brie and bring out the aromas and flavors of the tomatoes and garlic. Serve and pass the pepper mill. Parmesan cheese is optional, but, I think, overkill in this dish with is redolent of summer’s best.

Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.