You can make this dish any time of the year, but it’s best when you have home-grown tomatoes, basil, and garlic from Chris’ garden. Chris and Mary live Colorado and served this to us last summer when we visited. It was so good we had to have the recipe and make whenever we can.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs home-grown tomatoes of any variety
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• One large handful fresh basil leaves
• ½ lb long spaghetti
• ¼ cup or more good olive oil
• Salt, pepper and parmesan cheese to taste

Preparation:

Cut tomatoes into bite size pieces. Roll basil leaves and slice thinly into chiffonade. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well. To serve, put tomatoes, garlic, and basil in a large bowl. Add the hot spaghetti and olive oil. Toss, coating the pasta well. Add more olive oil if needed. Spoon into individual bowls, adding salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese to taste.

(Note: we have also made this same recipe by blistering the tomatoes and cooking the garlic gently in olive oil before tossing with the rest of the ingredients.)