By Perre Coleman Magness, The Runaway Spoon
Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook
1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, loosely packed
2 cloves garlic
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 pound Brie
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound linguine or spaghetti
1. Finely chop the basil and oregano and place in a large bowl that will hold all the cooked pasta. Put the garlic through a press, or finely chop it, sprinkling a little salt over it during the process.This helps mellow the garlic, you don’t want big chunks.
2. Cut the tomatoes in quarters, or chop them smaller if you’d like, and add to the bowl. Scrape the rind off the cheese – you don’t have to be too precise about this, just do your best. A serrated knife and cold cheese helps. Cut the brie into small pieces, or pull it apart with your fingers, and add to the bowl. Pour in the olive oil, add few good pinches of salt and grind in some fresh pepper. Stir everything together, cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for a least an hour, but several hours is fine. The tomatoes will release their juices and the cheese will become meltingly soft.
3. When you are ready to eat, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain quickly, then pour the hot pasta over the sauce in the bowl. Leave to sit for a few minutes to melt the cheese and heat the tomatoes through. Toss the pasta and the sauce together until the pasta and tomatoes are well coated. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
