Farfalle with tomatoes, goat cheese, and basil

Goat cheese, fresh basil, and vine-ripened tomatoes are a sacred culinary trinity to have on hand for tossing into impromptu pasta dishes or putting out on a pretty platter as delicacies on their own. In the eighties and nineties, these were standard ingredients in every knowing yuppie’s pantry. Combined, they bring out the best of summer’s bounty. A secret to getting goat cheese crumbles instead of blobs is to freeze fresh goat cheese until firm and then let it thaw a quick 5-10 minutes on the kitchen counter before crumbling. To peel the tomatoes, drop them into rapidly boiling water for 1 minute and then quickly transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, just slip off the skins with your fingers. Bow tie-shaped farfalle are dashing in this quick, summery dish, but you can substitute penne, orecchiette or rotini as you prefer.