tasty tuesday ~ martha's pasta shell's w/no-cook tomato sauce

When the summer heat descends my one goal in the kitchen is to keep it cool and keep it fresh. This dish is a fabulous example of how that is possible while delivering quite the flavor punch. It comes from the July/Aug issue of Martha's Every Day Food magazine and Martha always delivers!

I literally walked outside and picked the peppers, tomatoes and fresh basil that I used in this dish. I have to say it's so lovely to have a straight from garden to table meal. Makes me appreciate my mother and grandmothers who grew much of their own food for years. It's how things should be.

The final touch of the fresh basil and ricotta takes me to a little corner of heaven where angels sing, in Italian of course, as I raise my glass of Chianti and say to all who join me at table Salude!

Pasta Shells w/No Cook Tomato Sauce

from Martha Stewarts Every Day Food - July/Aug 2011 Issue

Ingredients:

2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes (4 cups) halved or quartered
2 small red, yellow, or orange bell peppers diced medium
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound medium pasta shells
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large
1/2 cup ricotta for serving

Directions:
1.  In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, bell peppers, oil, vinegar and garlic; session with salt and pepper.  Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and add pasta to sauce, tossing to combine.  Add basil and toss.  Divide pasta among four bowls and top with ricotta.