Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1-1/2 pounds tomatoes, any shape (but larger than cherry) preferably slightly overripe so they feel like full water balloons.
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), divided
Kosher salt
12 ounces strand pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti, or linguini
1 cup basil leaves, torn
|
Directions: |
Directions:Cut tomatoes in half through the equator (in other words, not through the core, but across the midline). Hold halves in your palms and gently squeeze over a bowl to squeeze out seeds and surrounding juice/jelly. (Note that the seeds and surrounding juice/jelly inside tomatoes can be slightly bitter and astringent, which is why we squeeze them out before chopping the flesh. This step also prevents the sauce from getting too watery, so it clings to the pasta better. Plus, some people just really don't like the texture of the seeds.) Casually and imperfectly chop seeded tomatoes so you have some pieces that are very small and some pieces that are a bit larger, but everything should be smaller than an acorn. Transfer tomatoes to a large bowl and mash mixture several times with the back of a large spoon or potato masher to release more juices (you can also just use your hands). Finely grate garlic into bowl with tomatoes with a micro-plane or fine grater, then add butter, vinegar, red pepper, 1/4 cup oil, and half of Parmesan. Season with several pinches of salt, then toss with a large spoon to combine. Cover bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours. This lets the flavors marry and tomato juices to exude (because we want a saucy pasta). Bring a large pot of water to a boil (4-6 quart) and add a small fistful of salt. Cook pasta until al dente (follow package instructions). As soon as pasta is ready, use tongs to transfer noodles to bowl with tomatoes and TOSS TOSS TOSS. You want the hot pasta to melt the cheese and butter, which will thicken the sauce. Taste pasta and season with more salt, if needed, then toss in basil. Using tongs, portion pasta into shallow bowls, then spoon remaining tomatoes and juices over. Top with remaining 2 ounce Parmesan, then drizzle with oil. |
This recipe for Pasta with No-cook Tomato Sauce is from