Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Summer may be over, but the tomato season isn't quite. I had some gorgeous golden-colored tomatoes in my CSA bag this week, and this recipe was the perfect way to showcase them. You can use any tomatoes you like to make this sauce, but I'd recommend really high quality, preferably heirloom, varieties. This is the sauce for the tomato you can't bring yourself to cook for fear of sullying its reputation.

This sauce is sweet and slightly tangy, with a bit of an underlying edge from the garlic oil. It's easy, quick, and refreshing. Equally great for a quick weeknight meal or a lazy weekend lunch.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce 
adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray  
serves 3 

INGREDIENTS:  
1 large garlic clove, crushed  
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  
salt  
1/2 lb. whole wheat pasta (any cut you like) 
3 medium sized good quality tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped  
freshly ground pepper  
1 teaspoon lemon zest  
a few leaves of basil, finely chopped  

DIRECTIONS:  

1. Place the olive oil and garlic clove in a small cup or bowl. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  

2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Drain. 
 
3. While pasta is cooking, crush the tomatoes with your hands in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest, basil, and the oil from step one (discard the garlic clove). Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce and serve.

Enjoy!