This is a rich, decadent pasta dish – my idea of heaven in a bowl – so I only make it a couple of times a year. It’s great for dinner parties because the “sauce” is prepared ahead of time. The original source of the recipe is lost, at least to me: I found it in 1998 on an old Epicurious forum called Gail’s Recipe Swap.
To remove the rind from the brie, chill it well in the refrigerator; cut the wedge in half (like a piece of pie) and stand each piece up, cut-side down. Use a knife with a long, thin blade to slice off the rind. You can omit the sun-dried tomatoes and/or kalamata olives, if you don’t have them on hand.
- 1 lb brie, rind removed, cut into small pieces
- 5 oz sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into thin strips
- 4 ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 18 ounces fresh linguine or 1 pound dried
- freshly grated fontina or parmesan cheese, to taste
1. In a large bowl, combine Brie, sundried tomatoes, tomatoes, olives, garlic, basil, pepper and olive oil. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. (Optional: occasionally remove cover, stir and inhale the heady aroma of your future dinner).
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and immediately toss with tomato mixture (the brie will melt a bit, depending on the butterfat content and state of your cheese – the riper the brie, the more melting). Serve immediately with grated cheese. Serves 4-6 as a main course.