If you cannot stand the heat…

… no need to stay out of the kitchen.

Try this dish instead, and you’ll be glad you did…

There are only a few ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil and herbs, so they need to be good quality. I repeat this mantra quite a bit, but it makes all the difference in the world. We had several  tomatoes from the farmer’s market laying around the kitchen, ripe and juicy.  And this weekend we’ll bring home lots more, so I wanted to use them.  After biking from work at 105 F, we needed something fresh and light, but substantial enough to replenish our energies.  Pasta with fresh tomato sauce was it!

You’ll find recipes for uncooked tomato sauce in  every Italian cookbook, and on countless websites.   I’ll  show you how I made it, following a basic method that can be adjusted to your taste and the fresh herbs you have handy.  I go through the trouble of peeling the tomatoes, but you can skip this step if you don’t like doing it. It won’t be as luscious, though… 😉

PASTA WITH UNCOOKED TOMATO SAUCE

(receita em portugues ao final do texto!)

tomatoes (ripe and gorgeous)
olive oil (the best you can find)
fresh basil leaves
fresh mint leaves
fresh thyme
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes (optional)

Peel the tomatoes (click here if you want a quick lesson), remove most of the seeds. Cut them in large chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Add a bunch of basil and mint leaves, some thyme, drizzle olive oil all over, season with salt and pepper.

Process by pulsing the machine on a few times.  You want to retain the tomato in pieces (see my photo after the jump).   Add red pepper flakes to taste.   Allow the tomato/herb mixture to sit in a bowl while you cook the pasta.   I like fettuccine or spaghetti.

Once the pasta cooks, drain it quickly, add to a serving bowl and mix in the cold tomato sauce.  Serve immediately.  The contrast of the hot pasta with the cold sauce is a great gastronomic experience!

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