Home  |  Recipes  |  Diet Recipes  |  Dinner Party Menus  |  Food History  |  Culinary Dictionary  |  Diet, Health & Beauty

A great recipe to use your fabulous vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh homemade salsa.

Check out Linda's Pasta Hints and Tips, Pasta, Rice, and Main Dish Recipes, and lots more Salad Recipes.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Salad

6 to 7 medium-size fresh tomatoes, diced*
1 large onion, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile pepper (stems, ribs, & seeds removed), very finely diced**
Coarse salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 pound pasta of your choice (such as bowtie, corkscrew, penne, or rotini)
Parmesan cheese, grated

* I like to seed my tomatoes before dicing

** How hot you make your salsa depends on the kind of chilies and the amount you use.

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, chile pepper, salt, and lime juice. If your salsa is too hot, add some additional chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a little more chile pepper. Let sit for 1 hour for the flavors to combine. NOTE: If too much tomato juice settles at the bottom, just pour some off before tossing with the pasta. Remember that the pasta will absorb juice as it sits.

Cook pasta according to package directions using lots of hot boiling salted water. When pasta is done, drain and rinse with cold water; draining well before adding the tomato mixture.

Transfer drained pasta into a large serving bowl. Toss together pasta and the tomato mixture. Just before serving, grate Parmesan cheese over the top.

Always serve pasta salads at room temperature so the flavors will really shine. If you must refrigerate the salad, make sure to return it to room temperature before serving

Serves many.