George Dicenzo's Pasta Romantica

from the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook

Associate Producer of Dark Shadows, George DiCenzo offers an attractive recipe in the Dark Shadows Celebrity Cookbook called Pasta Romantica.  It's a pleasure to make and to enjoy.  The "sauce" is an uncooked medley of diced cherry tomatoes, plenty of julienned fresh basil leaves, garlic, olive oil, and white Worcestershire sauce.  It marinates for several hours before it's tossed with hot linguine then sprinkled with crumbled cooked Italian sausage, toasted pine nuts, and crushed red pepper.  It's elegant and surprisingly tasty.  Uncooked pasta sauces were a bit uncommon when this cookbook was published in 1989, but Mr. DiCenzo has contributed a sophisticated and interesting dish from his own Italian heritage.  And romantic?  Well, most of it is prepared ahead so you're not tied up in the kitchen when your guest arrives, and the flavors are soft, sweet, hot, and fresh.  What could be better?  Mr. DiCenzo also specifies that the garlic should be blanched before going into the sauce, ensuring that you and your guests will retain sweet breath for the rest of the evening.  I enjoyed this fine dish with a simple green salad, some Italian bread, and a nice red wine.  Perfect to make during the summer months, especially if you have tomatoes and basil from your own kitchen garden or get them from your local farmers' market.