Cherry tomatoes make a delicate sauce for pasta

Mostly we see the diminutive cherry tomato in salads, or stuffed with fancy fillings such as crab and set on an hors d'oeuvre platter. Cherries can also be the main attraction. A pint of these sweet little rounds, bursting with flavor this time of year, will make a flavorful base for pasta sauce. And they require no cooking.

An uncooked cherry-tomato sauce is an easy way to serve a seasonal supper and look like you've actually worked at it. Halve the cherry tomatoes so their juices start flowing, toss them with inky kalamata olives, salty capers, and garlic, and the mixture is already intense. Lemon juice and olive oil meld the sauce. Thin pasta, such as angel hair or capellini, will cook quickly and absorb the delicate sauce. When you toss the hot pasta with the cherry tomato sauce, the liquid in the sauce is absorbed by the thin strands, and it melts a plain tangy goat cheese that finishes this summery dish.

DEBRA SAMUELS