Cooking
I think you can argue that it isn't really Summer until tomatoes are juice-down-your-chin ripe. When a tomato is at it's sweet peak, I'm not alone in believing it should be eaten raw. In countries where tomatoes are grown, there are lots of great recipes for using fresh, uncooked tomatoes--Italians make Insalata Caprese, Spaniards make Gazpacho, Americans make tomato sandwiches, etc.
Around twenty years ago I remember a potluck dinner where someone who was a restauranteur brought a bowl of pasta tossed with a fresh uncooked tomato sauce. It was a revelation to me that something so basic could be so delicious. It wasn't until I lived in Italy that I learned such simple fresh ingredients are really what Italian cuisine is all about.
In Italy a sauce of uncooked tomatoes is called "salsa cruda", but in English that sounds just horrid. So I'm taking the liberty of calling this "Spaghetti Salad" instead. It makes a great weeknight dinner or a terrific potluck dish because you serve it at room temperature. You can add more herbs like parsley to this, or red pepper flakes, olives, capers, anything that appeals to you. I like it basic because when tomatoes are at their best, anything else is just a distraction.
Note: Only make this recipe with super delicious ripe juicy tomatoes.
Spaghetti Salad
serves 2-4 depending if this is a first or main course
Ingredients
1/2 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
4 tomatoes, fresh, ripe, about 2 cups finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed
4 large leaves fresh basil, roughly torn
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (a fruity or peppery one is good)
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Trim the stem off the tomatoes and chop finely. Do not drain the tomatoes! Save the juice, it will get absorbed by the pasta. Smash a large clove of garlic and place it in your serving bowl along with the olive oil, basil and tomatoes. Cook the pasta in salted water just until al dente. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and let it sit and absorb the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!
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Cooking
Spaghetti Salad: Recipe
I think you can argue that it isn't really Summer until tomatoes are juice-down-your-chin ripe. When a tomato is at it's sweet peak, I'm not alone in believing it should be eaten raw. In countries where tomatoes are grown, there are lots of great recipes for using fresh, uncooked tomatoes--Italians make Insalata Caprese, Spaniards make Gazpacho, Americans make tomato sandwiches, etc.
Around twenty years ago I remember a potluck dinner where someone who was a restauranteur brought a bowl of pasta tossed with a fresh uncooked tomato sauce. It was a revelation to me that something so basic could be so delicious. It wasn't until I lived in Italy that I learned such simple fresh ingredients are really what Italian cuisine is all about.
In Italy a sauce of uncooked tomatoes is called "salsa cruda", but in English that sounds just horrid. So I'm taking the liberty of calling this "Spaghetti Salad" instead. It makes a great weeknight dinner or a terrific potluck dish because you serve it at room temperature. You can add more herbs like parsley to this, or red pepper flakes, olives, capers, anything that appeals to you. I like it basic because when tomatoes are at their best, anything else is just a distraction.
Note: Only make this recipe with super delicious ripe juicy tomatoes.
Spaghetti Salad
serves 2-4 depending if this is a first or main course
Ingredients
1/2 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
4 tomatoes, fresh, ripe, about 2 cups finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, smashed
4 large leaves fresh basil, roughly torn
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (a fruity or peppery one is good)
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Trim the stem off the tomatoes and chop finely. Do not drain the tomatoes! Save the juice, it will get absorbed by the pasta. Smash a large clove of garlic and place it in your serving bowl along with the olive oil, basil and tomatoes. Cook the pasta in salted water just until al dente. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce and let it sit and absorb the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!
- Sea Urchin Spaghetti Recipe
Sea urchin or uni is rich and creamy. It tastes very briny and yet sweet. Emulsified with some extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, it makes a wonderful sauce for pasta. The type of pasta you use is up to you of course, but isn't it gorgeous on...
- Spaghetti With Walnuts And Anchovies: Recipe
Conventional wisdom says a good cookbook is one that allows you to reproduce a given recipe with consistently successful results. Another opinion is that the recipes should be really special, not run-of-the-mill or the best versions of classics. I may...
- Pappa Al Pomodoro: Recipe
Tuscans are infamous for being stingy. But when it comes to food that's not necessarily a bad thing. They are experts at cooking beans and even make a delicious soup called "cooked water" that is chock full of vegetables and topped with an egg. While...
- Trapanese Pesto Recipe
Summer is bright red, hot, juicy and sweet. So it's ironic that tomatoes don't really become ripe until the last gasp of Summer and into early Fall. To savor a bit more of the flavor of Summer, I recently made a delicious variation on the Genovese...
- Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
There are many versions of eggplant parmesan. I probably like them all. The earthy sweetness of the eggplant and tomato sauce, the gooey mozzarella, and the sharpness of the parmesan all come together to make something delectable. Eggplant parmesan was...