Saturday Beefcake Summer Lunch

Gemelli Pasta Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil

This comes from Michael White via JBF: Although Michael White’s soulful, flavorful interpretations of Italian cuisine indicate otherwise, he is not an Italian native who absorbed generations of recipes at birth. He is, in fact, a Midwesterner who spent the majority of his childhood days in Beloit, Wisconsin playing football and swimming competitively. At the time, cooking was simply an enjoyable family pastime and an escape from the biting winter. Go here for more about Marea and Chef White.



Ingredients:

Vinaigrette
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 eggs, hard-boiled, finely chopped

Salad
1 pound gemelli, cooked al dente, rinsed to prevent sticking
6 ounces pecorino, shaved
3 mixed heirloom tomatoes
1 small bunch of basil, leaves torn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Vinaigrette: Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. If necessary, add more vinegar to adjust the acidity.



Salad: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss together with the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.



We have increased the Mediterranean flavor of this recipe with pics of Nikos Giannios and Daniel Garofali. Bask in the Mediterranean lights.