Basil Tomato Mozzarella Pasta

Oh, look, James made pimento cheese and thinks he's cool, you may be thinking to yourself.  Well, in fact, you're damn right, but I want to stress that I am not a one trick pony.  In fact, I am of Italian descent, and enjoy the Italian fare when done right.  If you are reading this,saw that sentence, and then in your head said "I love Olive Garden too", please exit out now and drop a plugged in toaster into the bathtub while you are in it.  Real Italian food doesn't come from a chain restaurant.  It also doesn't come from my kitchen, but I am trying really hard to change that.  

So what four things could be more Italian than basil, tomato, mozzarella, and pasta?  If you said nothing, then you are correct.  This is something I thought of that would be good for a light summer lunch or even a side item to a more robust dinner.  Being the single man I am, i'll eat it by itself, because if I made it as a side, then that means I have to make a main course as well.  I just don't have that kind of dedication.  So, here's what you need to make this wonderful dish:

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 Pound of Tomato (I used tomatoes from the local Hub City Farmer's Market. Aren't you hippies just proud of me?)

8oz fresh mozzarella

1/2 cup fresh basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

12oz penne pasta

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

First, go ahead and cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces.  Be sure to core them, of course.  I cut some of the tomatoes into 1/8ths, some into quarters.  Just mix it up.  Then, take the mozzarella and cut it into bite size pieces as well.  Put both of those into a medium size bowl.  Chop the basil coarsely, then add olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix up gently and let sit at room temperature while doing the rest.

Boil 4 quarts of water with salt.  Once it comes to a boil, put in the 12oz of penne pasta.  I am sure you can use some other pasta, but don't be a smart ass.  Just do it.  Bring it back to a boil, stirring frequently.  I am going to let you in a little secret right here if you didn't know: add a few drops of olive oil to the water to prevent sticking of the pasta.  There.  A family secret passed down for ages.  Don't say I didn't ever give you anything.  Boil 10-12 minutes, or until al dente.  I'll let you figure out what that means, smarty pants.  Once done, pour into a colinder.  I then run cold water over the pasta to cool it off a bit.  Put the pasta back into the original pot and then add the tomato mixture from earlier.  Gently toss, then it's ready to eat.  I personally eat it cold, you can eat it warm if you want.  Whatever floats your boat buddy.

This is how it should look, although I am sure yours won't be so nice, because i'm a freaking artist:

Now, for the music, I listened to dubstep the entire time I made it, and I am sure you won't like that at all.  Either way, listen to this.  If you don't like it, go back to listening to Taylor Swift and eating McDonald's, you uncultured freak.

Benny Benassi - Cinema (Skrillex Remix)