This has to be one of my all-time favorite easy summer dinners. I love the fresh taste of homegrown tomatoes and basil mixed with fresh mozzarella cheese and pasta. Any pasta will work. I use whatever is on hand. This can be eaten hot or cold making it great for a dinner out on the deck or taken on a picnic. I never actually measure the ingredients when making this but I think the measurements are pretty accurate. =)

Fresh Mozzarella Basil & Tomato Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz) package pasta – bowtie, elbow, corkscrew, etc
1/2 lb or about 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes – roma, plum, cherry, whatever your favorite is
1/2 pound diced FRESH mozzarella (It’s best to use fresh. You can find it by the deli in your grocery store. It will usually come packaged in some water.)
1 cup fresh basil, torn into pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Salt

Boil the pasta until tender but not overdone. Drain. Rinse with cold water if you want to serve this cold. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and olive oil. Stir together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt. Depending on the brand your fresh mozzarella may already be salted.

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