SERVES 4–6

This sauce should only be made in the summer when you can find vine-ripened fresh red tomatoes.

½ cup pine nuts

4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 pound angel hair pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Since the pasta cooks so quickly, have the sauce ready before you start cooking the pasta. Place small skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add pine nuts; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until nuts begin to brown and are fragrant. Remove from heat and pour nuts into serving bowl.

2. Chop tomatoes into ½“ pieces and add to pine nuts along with olive oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. Add pasta to the boiling water; cook and stir until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and add to tomato mixture in bowl. Toss gently and serve immediately.

Fresh Basil

If you have a garden, by all means grow basil; it's easy to grow and requires very little maintenance. You can usually find fresh basil in the produce aisle of your supermarket. Or grow it on a sunny windowsill. There are lots of kits available at the market or on the Internet. Just be sure to use the basil before the plant starts to flower.