Recipe: One-pot pasta and CSA slicing tomatoes

Tomatoes are in full swing here in the mid-Atlantic, and our Community-Supported Agriculture subscription has been providing us with two or three pounds of slicing tomatoes every week for the past couple of weeks. Now, they're called slicing tomatoes because supposedly they're no good for pasta sauce, and they should be used only for sandwiches, salads, and the relish tray, from which a person can take single slices and nibble them raw, seasoned with salt and pepper.

But the other day, my supermarket discounted my favorite pasta brand to my price point ($1.00/pound), so I bought a dozen boxes. And it's summer, so although we've had some cooler, rainier weather recently, I don't want to heat up the house making "gravy." Here's my almost-no-cook solution to use up those delicious slicing tomatoes -- and quantities of pasta at the same time.

Ingredients:

2 servings dried pasta, any style

1 large slicing tomato

1 clove garlic

dried oregano to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Start cooking the pasta. While waiting for the water to boil and the pasta to cook, slice the tomato into very small dice. (It is not necessary to peel the tomato nor discard the seeds and membrane.) Mince the garlic very finely.

Drain the pasta when done and return to the pot. Add the tomato, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper. Heat through on medium-high heat until some liquid is absorbed or cooked off and the tomato has softened, stirring gently as needed. Serve immediately, topped with cheese, if desired.

Serves 2. To make larger quantities, try the ratio of 1 large tomato to every 2 servings. However, keep the garlic ratio down to 1 clove to every 2-4 servings, because the garlic stays very raw and sharp in this recipe.