WHAT TO SERVE

The smoky, dark fruit, spice and herb notes in this rich and finely structured wine are a great match for the weight and flavours of this dish.

7 Deadly Zins Old Vine Zinfandel VINTAGES ESSENTIALS 59311, $24.95

SPAGHETTI WITH GARLICKY RAW TOMATO SAUCE & GOAT CHEESE

Punchy with garlic and fragrant with basil, this simple pasta dish is a great way to use up an excess of late-summer tomatoes. Be sure to use über-ripe best-quality tomatoes so they end up soft and succulent when tossed with the noodles. This dish also works well at room temp as a pasta salad.

2 lbs (905 g) very ripe tomatoes, cored

1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 cloves garlic, grated on a rasp

3 sprigs basil, leaves removed, large leaves torn Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 lb (455 g) dried spaghetti, preferably Italian 6 oz (170 g) goat cheese

Dried chili flakes for serving

1 Halve tomatoes crosswise. Scoop out seeds into a sieve placed over a medium bowl. Stir and press seeds with back of a spoon to extract juice. Discard seeds or save for vegetable stock. Chop tomatoes into 3/4-inch (2-cm) pieces and add to juice. Stir in olive oil, garlic and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

2 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to instructions on package. Drain and return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta and mix until well-combined. Taste for salt and pepper.

3 Divide among 4 shallow bowls, making sure to get at the tomatoes and sauce at the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle with goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with chili flakes.

Serves 4