Penne with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary

I bought a new Marcella Hazan cookbook: Marcella's Italian Kitchen.  This book has a more personal, home-cooking vibe than Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, which is focused on traditional preparations and fundamental techniques.

The first recipe I tried was this dish of penne with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary.  I used a very good, drinkable balsamic vinegar.  Still, I thought the sauce was too tart for my tastes.  I really love olive oil.  I feel that vinegar tends to mask its wonderful aromas and mouthfeel.  I get particularly annoyed when restaurants combine the olive oil with balsamic vinegar for bread dipping.  Just the olive oil please! Here, I couldn't really taste the olive oil the way I like.

As for rosemary, I love its aroma, but I think its presence in dishes can be overpowering.  Combining the balsamic vinegar with the strong rosemary, this sauce was aggressive.  Not a total failure--I even enjoyed it--but I wouldn't make it again.