Tomato Walnut Basil Mozzarella Pasta Salad

The last precious days of summer are upon us, and this means our garden bounty over-floweth. I'm torn between relishing a lovely sunny day and hoping it would rain just a little so I'd have an excuse to stay inside and cook with some of our goods... Also it makes me want to make quick things that utilize as much of our garden fare as possible so  nothing goes to waste, but we still have time to play outside. Here's a quick and easy recipe for a great simple pasta salad. I have so much basil right now it's going in everything, even the unfortunate experiment with a peach smoothie... Yeah, don't try that one at home kids.....

Tomato Basil Parmesan Pasta Salad

-1 package Linguine noodles

-1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in fourths

-1/2 cup fresh basil, diced

-1/2 cup gratedmozzarella cheese

-1 T. lemon zest
-1/2 cup chopped walnuts

-1 T. extra virgin olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Cook Linguine and drain. Add oil and lemon zest and toss to combine, then add tomatoes, cheese, walnuts, basil salt and pepper and toss. Serve warm.

Fresh and fast, a perfect pairing with any main dish. 

This time of year almost everyone has tomatoes coming out of their ears, so it's nice to have a lot of ideas on hand, besides just eating them by the handful. Enjoy these last lovely days of summer!