You say Tomato......

Got this yummy recipe from a friend on Facebook. Tried it out tonight, and it was so good! Now if you look at this, and you are tempted to leave out the mint, and cream sherry, and maybe substitute mozzarella for the cheeses, then stick out your hand for a minute. *slap* not okay! If you want to make Cappellini Pomodoro, then by all means do! I love it - it's a great quick night meal when tomatoes are so yummy like they are right now. However, if you have been making Cappellini Pomodoro for awhile now, and are ready to make a grown up version, or want to impress some guests by talking about how you've been letting the tomatoes soak in cream sherry for the past 2 hours before they arrived, then you want to make my friend's Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Cheese. When I went to my trusty wine guy (if you don't have one, you need one. Not the kind that is just working in the wine store because he can't let go of the college years, but my kind. The kind that still looks a little punk rock, is actually a sommelier, and you are pretty sure he owns the place. Oh, and he has to be willing to let my kids raid the lollipops, and listen to me give intimate details about what I'm making for dinner. and like it.) he hooked me up with a huge bottle of cream sherry, that can be kept in the fridge, and I guess you can drink it over the rocks. It's a bit sweet and is supposed to go well with coffee and dessert. I've never had it outside of this pasta, but I'll let you know how it is. For wine to go with the meal, he paired this with Podere De Giuggiolo 2007 Toscana.

I thought the flavors in this were subtle, and I liked them. It won't be too spicy for your kids, so don't worry about those red pepper flakes.

Summer Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Cheese

ingredients

2 pounds vine ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cream sherry
12 ounces spaghetti (I used Whole Wheat)
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
2 cups fontina cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, basil, mint, salt and black pepper, hot pepper flakes, olive oil, and cream sherry. Let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Cook the pasta In a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but firm to the bite.
Drain the pasta, and transfer to a large serving bowl. Drain 1/4 cup of the liquid from the tomato mixture, and toss with the pasta to coat. Add cheese, and toss until it begins to melt. Add the tomato mixture, and toss until mixed.