Buttered Linguine with Romano, Tomatoes, and Basil

Buttered Linguine with Romano, Tomatoes, and Basil - from Confections of a FoodieBride

1/2 lb Linguine
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp basil, chopped/chiffonade
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
Salt, to taste

Cook pasta 6-8 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.

Toss hot pasta in a large bowl with butter, pepper, tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Add 1/4 cup pasta water and toss to moisten. Add additional water if necessary. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Yields: 3 servings (entree)
Source: Heavily revised from Everyday Pasta, 2007

Our view: DELICIOUS! We really like it!
My notes:

• I like to let the pasta cool just a little bit, and perhaps not add the reserved pasta water. My enemy: lumpy or stringy cheese. It could be too that I used the wrong kind of cheese.
• Even using the "wrong" cheese (ie Parmesan from the green can) it tasted alright. I can imagine that using the "right" cheese would do nothing but improve the taste.
• I added two cloves of crushed garlic, and we really liked it. But then again, we really like garlic.