This week Lynne talks simple summer pastas—there is a reason Italians shudder at our cold pasta salads! Our opinionated palate David Rosengarten, of The Rosengarten Report, has suggestions for summer wines to accompany Lynne's recipe for Chopped Chive "Pesto". Lynne takes questions from frequent Foodtalk contributor Donna Tracy, and we get a politically inspired recipe for Nixon's Pasta from Foodtalk contributor Miss Capri's Chef.

Foodtalkers on Summer Pasta
Each week Lynne discusses the week's topic with frequent Foodtalk contributors—we call them Foodtalkers. This week, Donna Tracy calls in with pasta questions, and Lynne checks in with Miss Capri's Chef for a look at a recipe "invented the day Tricky Dick went to the big Jell-O buffet in the sky."

We asked Lynne, Donna, and Miss Capri's Chef for some opinions about pasta, and this is what they told us.

Tuesday Night Tips: Summer Pasta
1. This is a great time of year for fresh uncooked or barely cooked sauces.

2. Pasta salad does not exist in Italy for a reason. Refrigerated pasta simply doesn't taste good. Instead think of serving pasta at room temperature.

3. The idea is to make the sauce ahead and cook the pasta last minute.

4. Try some of the following combinations with fresh cooked pasta:
   • Rub a bowl with garlic and toss diced fresh tomatoes with basil, salt, and pepper.

   • Blend olives, garlic, hot pepper, capers, onions, diced tomato, and anchovy.

   • Roasted sweet and hot peppers, chickpeas that have been marinated in lemon juice, red onion, garlic and oregano. Toss it all together with hot pasta.

   • With these fresh pastas, cheese is a option, not a requirement. If you use it try fresh cheese from local artisan cheese makers like fromage blanc or old-fashioned cream cheese made without stabilizers, gums, or preservatives.

From David Rosengarten: Wine Accompaniments
Lynne calls David this week at his New York apartment to chat about wine accompaniments for raw and fresh summer pasta sauces. He says a simple and light wine is best. Hear his recommendations for reds and whites on this week's Tuesday Night Kitchen.