Tomatoes, and not much else
There is a short window, right about now, when tomatoes actually taste of something. It does not last long in England, so this is the month to do very little to them and let them do the work.
This is the pasta I make on a hot evening when I cannot be bothered to cook but still want dinner to feel like something. It takes about as long as the pasta takes to boil, which is the only timer you need.
For two
• 250g pasta (whatever is in the cupboard, no need to be precious)
• a punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved, or a tin if yours are still pale
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• a good glug of olive oil
• a handful of basil, torn, if you have it
Put the pasta on. While it boils, warm the oil in a pan over a low heat and add the garlic, gently, so it softens rather than browns. Tip in the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and let them slump and burst for the few minutes you have (press them with the back of a spoon to help them along). When the pasta is done, lift it straight into the pan with a splash of its cooking water and stir until everything looks glossy. Basil on top.
That is dinner.
And if the tomatoes at the shop look sad, or you are simply too tired for even this: a jar of good passata, or a spoon of pesto stirred through, is not cheating. It is a Tuesday. Nobody is marking it.
