Happy Tuesday! I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. We enjoyed a low-key weekend and spending it with family. This coming week will be busy, as B starts school, so I am relying on my stock of quick and easy 'go-to' recipes, to get a home-cooked meal on the table every night this week.

One of my favorite dishes to prepare when time is tight, or when we really need to do some grocery shopping, is Capellini Pomodoro. This is a fresh Italian pasta dish, which is dressed with olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, basil and Parmesan Cheese. You may have seen this popular dish on the menu at your favorite Italian restaurant, but this is a dish that I choose to make at home, because it's so simple, and I prefer to make it to my taste.

You will need: 1 lb Angel Hair Pasta,

1 large tomato, diced 2-3 Tbsp. fresh bail, chopped

I tsp. minced garlic (fresh or refrigerated)

1-2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Garlic and Herb Infused Oil

Fresh is best!

Now, part of what makes this dish so special, is that the ingredients are fresh! I beg you not to use canned tomatoes. Using fresh garlic is best, as is fresh basil. Dried basil will do in a pinch.

Get a pot of water boiling on the stove for your pasta. While the water boils, add 1 tsp. of olive oil to a pan and heat to medium.

Once the pan is warm enough, add the fresh tomatoes, minced garlic, and about half of the chopped basil.

Let the ingredients warm through, keeping the heat low to medium.

Boil the noodles until they are just cooked- known as 'al dente.'

As the fresh ingredients begin to heat up, you should see the oil and a bit of the juice from the tomatoes marrying in the pan.

And once the tomatoes look like they have begun to soften a bit, you're ready to add the pasta. Don't cook the tomatoes on a heat that's too high, or they will quickly lose their coloring and turn to mush.

After draining the pasta, add it directly to the pan of cooked tomatoes, garlic and basil.

Add a bit more of the olive oil and gently toss the pasta in the pan. I used a Garlic and Herb infused olive oil, to enhance the flavor.

After the pasta is coated in the oil, sprinkle on a desired amount of Parmesan Cheese, and garnish with the remainder of the fresh, chopped basil. Don't go overboard with the cheese- let everyone add extra cheese to their own bowls or plates, if they want more.

You'll wind up with a dish that looks like this, and you can take the skillet right to the table, to serve from. Does this look beautiful, of what?

Serve with garlic toast, a side salad and a glass of wine for a delicious fresh Italian meal at home.

This meal is such a crowd-pleaser. It's a fancy twist on spaghetti, and I prefer it this way, because here you actually get to taste and enjoy fresh ingredients, as opposed to slurping down noodles taking a sauce bath. I would be proud to serve this meal to family members and friends. I guarantee that they'll be impressed with it, and they'll never have to know that it's probably one of the simplest dishes you've ever made, not to mention one of the most delicious!

Won't you give this recipe a try this week? I can't wait to hear what you thought of it, so please be sure to comment about your experience!

Godere (Enjoy)!