Waspy Sicilian Pasta

Waspy Sicilian Pasta
Serves 2-4

This marries two different recipes/ideas. My mother has a Junior League cookbook from the eighties and this method for making pasta (or really, a pasta salad) comes from there, so that’s the “WASP” part. In Sicily you’ll find capers in pretty much everything you eat, and this dish is simple and delicious, like everything else there.

4 cloves garlic, smashed
¼ cup capers, drained from liquid
¼ - ½ cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
Salt, to taste
½ lb. pasta, any kind, I used mezze rigatoni
Pecorino cheese, to taste

Add garlic, capers, olive oil, tomatoes and salt to a large bowl. Use the back of your fork or spoon to bruise slightly and leave out on the counter all day or afternoon or until you boil pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Strain, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta water and add to the bowl, tossing with copious amounts of cheese. Serve warm, room temperature or cold.