Fresh-picked aromatic basil … juicy, ripe, ruby red tomatoes warm from the garden … ooey, gooey, melty Brie cheese … garlic and pasta — is your mouth watering yet?! This is one of those meals that just screams SUMMER!
A friend gave me this recipe years ago, and I’ve been making it every summer since. It’s very adaptable – I didn’t have linguine tonight, so I used spaghetti. See my recipe notes below for more adaptations to the original.
Linguine with Tomatoes, Brie, and Basil
4 large, ripe, fresh tomatoes, chopped and drained
1 pound Brie, torn into irregular pieces (may remove rind, if desired)
1 cup cleaned fresh basil, cut into strips, or roughly chopped (lightly packed into measuring cup)
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound linguine, uncooked
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Combine tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature for several hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Cook linguine in boiling, salted water. Drain and toss with tomato/brie mixture. Add salt to taste. Serve immediately. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Recipe notes:
– This recipe makes a LOT of pasta. I usually halve the recipe and it’s plenty for three people. Leftovers are good, too, though.
– I usually leave the rind on the Brie. I like the texture of it. And the recipe says to tear the Brie into irregular pieces but I usually cut it into pieces about 1″x1″x1/4″.
– I don’t always drain the juice off the tomatoes, but it does make the dish a lot juicier if you don’t.
– The original recipe calls for adding a sprinkle of Parmesan on top, but I don’t usually include it. I like the flavor of the Brie to stand on its own.
– If you don’t have time to wait a few hours after combining the tomatoes and Brie, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe. It’s still delicious if you do it all at dinnertime. Seems like the basil benefits from sitting for a few hours with the other ingredients though. It’s a little course and chewy if it hasn’t had time to wilt in with the Brie and tomatoes.
I hope you’ll give this great recipe a try this summer while those juicy summer tomatoes are still available – it’s absolutely delicious!
