Caprese Pasta with a secret healthy ingredient

It's tomato season in Oregon! This time of year, one of my favorite salads to make is "cottage cheese caprese," where I mix fresh tomatoes and basil with cottage cheese. I turned this salad into a super simple meal by adding pasta. The cottage cheese curds resemble fresh mozzarella and lend a creamy, fresh flavor to the pasta, plus lots of protein. This pasta is the perfect way to enjoy a bounty of fresh tomatoes. 

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (a short cut like fusili is perfect here)

2 lb fresh tomatoes, heirloom if you have them, chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 garlic cloves, minced

handful of basil, chopped

1.5 t salt

copious black pepper

3 T olive oil

1 lb full fat cottage cheese

balsamic for drizzling, optional

Boil pasta until al dente. While pasta is boiling, chop tomatoes and combine them with garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a bowl. 

Drain pasta thoroughly and stir in cottage cheese and tomato mixture, plus any juice that accumulated. The cottage cheese and tomatoes should warm through, but not cook, retaining their freshness. 

Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired. Serves 7.