Italian Countryside No-Cook Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce
Weekend recipes This quick and easy sauce tastes best if allowed to sit at room temperature for several hours before serving. If you're the kind of person who can't pass by a bowl of tomatoes and herbs without having a little sample you may want to double the recipe or hide the spoon. This recipe is made for interpretation; simply leave out or add whatever herbs or other ingredients you like or have on hand. I love Greek kalamata olives so I tossed them in; other olives would be nice too. Sometimes I skip the pasta altogether and just sop up the sauce with a hunk of warm crusty bread.
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Weekend recipes This quick and easy sauce tastes best if allowed to sit at room temperature for several hours before serving. If you're the kind of person who can't pass by a bowl of tomatoes and herbs without having a little sample you may want to double the recipe or hide the spoon. This recipe is made for interpretation; simply leave out or add whatever herbs or other ingredients you like or have on hand. I love Greek kalamata olives so I tossed them in; other olives would be nice too. Sometimes I skip the pasta altogether and just sop up the sauce with a hunk of warm crusty bread.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
- 3 pounds juicy vine-ripened tomatoes (preferably heirlooms, a mixture of varieties if desired), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives or your favorite, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons small capers roughly chopped (i don't rinse them)
- 1 clove garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 pound linguine spaghetti penne or fusilli
- 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated pecorino romano or parmesan c
- Carbohydrate 2.34680739693245 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.95067604185131 g
- Fiber 1.12684896346702 g
- Protein 0.579648437808511 g
- Saturated Fat 0.271699291708979 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (482g)
- Sodium 274.517541667074 mg
- Sugar 1.21995843346543 g
- Trans Fat 0.110600041697848 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, stir together the tomatoes, olive oil, kalamata olives, capers, basil, Greek oregano, garlic, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for several hours, or at least while you cook the pasta.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring often, until slightly undercooked. Drain in a colander.
- Spoon off some of the tomato sauce juice and put it into the empty pasta pot, then set it over medium-low heat, add the drained pasta, and toss until the juices are absorbed. Add the pasta to the bowl of sauce and toss to combine.
- Season to taste and serve, passing the freshly grated cheese at the table. Hunks of warm crusty bread to sop up the sauce are optional.
Flavor Interactions and Acidity
Raw tomato acidity is sharp and bright, dominated by citric and malic acids. Combining these acids with extra-virgin olive oil creates an emulsion where the lipids coat the tongue, softening the perceived astringency of the fruit. Salt added at the initial mixing stage draws out free moisture, but it also alters the protein structures in the garlic, reducing harsh sulfur compounds over a resting window of at least two hours. Brined capers and cured olives contribute sodium and glutamates, supplying a savory depth that typically requires hours of simmering to achieve in cooked sauces.Adapting for Dietary Restrictions
Omitting the grated pecorino or parmesan cheese transforms the dish into a strictly vegan meal without altering the structural integrity of the sauce. Replacing standard wheat pasta with a legume-based alternative works well, provided the alternative pasta is drained two minutes shy of package instructions to absorb the starchy tomato juices effectively. Olive oil quantities should remain constant at three tablespoons regardless of pasta substitutions, ensuring proper mouthfeel and preventing the dried noodles from absorbing too much surface moisture. Storing leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to twenty-four hours deepens the garlic infusion, though fresh basil loses its bright green hue past day one.
