A Summer Pasta Dish in the Middle of Winter

I know tomatoes in the winter are not the greatest but the vine trussed tomatoes are not too bad. The ones I bought have a great colour.
So I was siting in bed watching Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes. This week he was in Sardinia and Sicily. We have friends sailing around Europe...Currently I believe, in Corfu.
This recipe is for the crew of Chinano. Here is Chinano last year in Croatia, about to raft up with us.
Doesn't it all look wonderful

So back to Rick. he discovered this very simple but outstanding Pasta Dish in Sicily. He loved it and had to make it. Good enough for Rick good enough for me.

As you can see those tomatoes look pretty good for winter.
So for a greedy couple for lunch
200 gms spaghetti


2 tbs Extra Virgin Olive oil
3 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
8 tomatoes on the vine
Handful of mint leaves
2 tbs capers washed and drained
1/2 tsp chili flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
This sauce is not a really wet sauce, so first you need to cut the tomatoes in half
and squeeze out the pips and juice.
Set aside the pips and juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and add the spaghetti
Cook to the manufacturers instructions


Into a pan put the olive oil and pop the garlic cloves in to cook gently. No browning we are just infusing the oil.

Remove garlic and discard


Chop the tomatoes
Add to the oil

Chop the mint and rough chop the capers
Add to the pan
Add chili flakes and season with Salt and pepper
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary
Drain the cooked pasta and add to the sauce

Toss together and plate up

A quick grind of Parmesan

Eat and enjoy
Easy Peasy, delicious and a bonus. What to do with the tomato juice?
Make a Bloody Mary of course. 
So pour the juices into a sieve to strain

Big nip of Vodka into a glass with ice
Top up with the strained juice

Add grind of freshly black pepper
Sprinkle of sea salt
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Tabasco
Squeeze of lemon juice
Serve and stir with a stick of Celery

Larry, you will find it hard to make a better one than this.

What a lunch!