My friend Frank gave me this recipe. His parents are both Italian, and lived half of their life in Italy. They once owned an Italian restaurant and this simple little dish is a beautiful example of old time Italian cooking.

4 servings of Pasta (your favorite type)
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
pinch of red pepper
a small basket of cherry tomatoes
a couple of ounces of imported Prevalone or Parmesan cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Cook the pasta according to package directions until just underdone, retaining about 1/2 cup of the pasta water when finished.
Meanwhile, heat the Olive Oil and gently saute the crushed garlic with a pinch of red pepper.
After about a minute, add the cherry tomatoes. Saute all until the cherry tomatoes start to get soft and pop.
Dice the cheese, and place the pieces in the bottom of each dish you will be serving the pasta in.
When the pasta is done, strain and add to the pan with the tomatoes. Add the pasta water little by little for a little more moisture- not too much- just until you have enough liquid to coat the pasta. Continue to cook for another minute or 2.
Serve the pasta/tomato mixture in the dishes with the cheese, stirring until the heat of the pasta melts the cheese and mixes in.
Add a little more Parmesan and some chopped fresh basil and enjoy with a nice piece of Italian bread.  Oh, and don’t forget a nice glass of wine 🙂