Basil, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pasta

I came home from the farmer’s market last weekend with some beautiful little tomatoes, a sure sign of August.  Last night I used them to make a tasty pasta by combining them with basil and mozzarella, so fast and simple but always so good and summery.  While boiling the pasta I cut a Maplebrook Fram mozzarella ball into quarter inch cubes and with about a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil I put them into a large bowl and sprinkled with kosher salt.  I halved lots and lots of tomatoes, put them in with the cheese, then coarsely chopped a generous amount of fresh basil and set it aside.  After draining I put the steaming pasta into the bowl and let it sit for a minute so the heat of the pasta had time to slightly soften the cheese and tomatoes at the bottom.  Finally I tossed in the basil, some grated parmesan and added a bit more olive oil, kosher salt, and white pepper to taste.  Tomato season, one of the best times of year to be in Vermont.