A shelf of good mozzarella deserves pasta and tomato, the simplest route to dinner. Tear the cheese into warm pasta, let it soften into the heat, and finish with acid and salt. Buy ripe tomatoes and basil if your market has them.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 960 calories a serving, 46 g protein, 132 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 8 oz pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes; reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.10 min
2. While pasta cooks, slice 1 lb ripe tomatoes into a bowl, tear 8 oz mozzarella into bite-sized pieces, and mince 2 cloves garlic. Dress tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Toss hot pasta with the tomato mixture and mozzarella pieces, adding splashes of pasta water if needed to loosen it, until the cheese softens into the heat, about 2 minutes.2 min
4. Tear a handful of fresh basil leaves over the pasta, taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Serve right away.

Note Swap the basil for mint if you have it. Leftovers keep refrigerated for one day but are best eaten warm; reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread to wipe the bowl.