Tomato Recipes

2 scallions, white and tender green parts, finely chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is done, but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is completely cool. Let it drain for a few minutes and transfer to a large bowl. Add the mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, scallions, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste, adding more vinegar if desired. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

* NOTE: To peel plum tomatoes, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of ice water. Remove the stem from the tomato and cut an "X" in its bottom. Place in the boiling water for 10 or 15 seconds -- no longer. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer to the ice water. The skin should simply slip off.

Per serving (based on 6): 332 calories, 15 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 16 g fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 5 g saturated fat, 345 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Stephanie Witt Sedgwick; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com

Chicken Scallopine With Roasted Cherry Tomato and Onion Salsa

4 servings

Here's a twist on what to do with all those cherry tomatoes. Instead of adding them to a salad, roast them to bring out the flavor and turn them into a warm salsa. You can buy chicken already thin-sliced for scallopine, or you can slice boneless, skinless chicken breast halves. This recipe would also work well with turkey cutlets.