Spaghetti with Peppery No-Cook Tomato Sauce

This sauce is perfect for summer because it requires no cooking at all!

The recipe does call for peeling the tomatoes though, and for this you only need to use the boiling water you're preparing for the pasta for about 30 seconds. While the pasta water comes to a boil, slice an X in the bottom of three small tomatoes. Plunge in the boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice and water for a minute. The skin will now peel back easily from along the X. Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then chop to equal one cup (you might not need all three tomatoes).

Meanwhile, cook an 8-oz package of spaghetti in the rest of that pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. I like the spaghetti from De Boles pasta, made of Jerusalem artichoke flour and completely vegan, with the added benefit of having more protein that standard pastas (www.deboles.com).

Place your chopped tomatoes in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup crumbled 'feta' cheese (such as the soy feta block from Sunergia), 3 tablespoons chopped, pitted kalamata olives, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons olive oil, 1/4 tsp. salt, a dash of black pepper and two diced garlic cloves. Toss together. Add the pasta and toss gently until combined. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 4 servings of 1 1/3 cups each (330 calories).

Cost:
spaghetti $1.99
tomatoes $2.84
"feta" $4.19
kalamata olives $6.99