Fresh tomatoes, basil and pasta are a summer match made in heaven

Hooray! Tomato season is finally here. In my house, we wait for this time of year with great anticipation. And from the moment the first perfectly ripe, juicy tomato lands on my kitchen counter, we make sure that fresh tomatoes, in some form, find their way into almost every meal.

Of course, tomatoes are available in the produce section of every grocery store all year long. But that doesn't mean they are anything to get excited about. The perfectly formed, bright red beauties that you can buy in January may look good, but in many cases the insides look like pink felt and they have almost no taste.

In the summer, though, you can find a type of tomato that may look misshapen and strange but taste delicious. These are heirloom varieties — tomatoes grown exclusively for taste and quality, not bred for mass production or large-scale farming. During the summer months, they can be found in most grocery stores and, of course, at farmers markets.

Heirloom tomatoes don't need to be manipulated by complicated culinary techniques to be delicious. A couple of thick slabs in between slices of whole grain bread, slathered with quality mayonnaise, is one of my favorite summer treats.

In this week's recipe, Pasta with No-Cook Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce, the tomatoes are undoubtedly the star of the show, and their flavor shines through beautifully.

The sauce is a simple one, and the tomatoes do most of the work. They only need to be chopped and mashed to release their juices, before being marinated with a few other ingredients. Add garlic, basil and olive oil, and voilà! You have a richly flavored, refreshing sauce for your favorite pasta.

I like to remove the seeds from the tomatoes, along with the "jelly" that suspends them, because they can be bitter. The process also removes some of the liquid from the tomato, which, in this case, is a good thing.

This pasta is served at room temperature and can sit for a bit, making it a great option for entertaining as either a main dish or a side dish to a simple grilled or roasted chicken, steak or fish. Just be sure to add the basil right before serving so it doesn't wilt or blacken.

Serves 6.

Ripe heirloom tomatoes are juicy and flavorful, and combined with their go-to partner, basil, make a refreshingly easy sauce for your favorite pasta. From Meredith Deeds.

• 2 1/2 lb. ripe heirloom tomatoes

• 2 sprigs fresh basil, plus 1/2 c. torn basil leaves

• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls, or ball of mozzarella cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 1 medium clove garlic, grated

• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 16 oz. long strand pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti or linguine

Directions

Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze over a bowl to squeeze out seeds and surrounding juice. Discard or reserve for another use.

Chop the seeded tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add the basil sprigs, salt and vinegar and using a fork or potato masher crush the tomatoes and basil just enough to release the juices. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Drain the mozzarella pearls and place in small bowl. Pour 3/4 cup of the juices from the tomatoes over the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions.

Drain pasta and immediately transfer to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Toss thoroughly. The cheese should melt and give a little more body to the sauce.

Drain the mozzarella pearls, reserving the liquid, and add the pearls to the pasta, along with the torn basil leaves. If the pasta is too dry, add some of the mozzarella liquid back to the pasta. Toss to combine. Let pasta sit in sauce for 10 minutes, tossing intermittently, to allow the pasta to absorb some of the liquid.

Divide among serving plates and serve more grated Parmesan on the side.