PrintDinner Tonight: Marinated Tomatoes with Linguine
My favorite kind of tomato sauce is a raw one. Despite the supposed romance of long-simmered tomatoes cooked down over the course of hours with herbs, garlic, and spices, I usually lack time or energy for that. When it's summer and fresh tomatoes have all the flavor you could want, cooking them somehow seems criminal.
All the tomatoes need is a quick blanch to help peel off the skins, then a half-hour bath in fruity olive oil, garlic, and slivered basil (plus liberal amounts of salt). The longer you can marinate the better, but the flavors mingle well (and I start to get hungry) after thirty minutes. Afterwards, small chunks of fresh mozzarella go in—when the whole thing is tossed with hot pasta, the cheese turns gooey in the heat.
About the author: Blake Royer lives in Brooklyn and spends most of his free time cooking and writing about it here at Serious Eats and on The Paupered Chef. From 9 to 5 weekdays, he works as an assistant book editor in Manhattan.
Marinated Tomatoes with Linguine
- serves 4 -
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
6-8 small tomatoes, or 3 large ones
1 clove garlic, chopped or pushes through a garlic press
1 tablespoon chopped basil
Olive oil to cover
2-3 ounces fresh mozzarella
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Bring a small pot of water to boil and submerge the tomatoes for 30 seconds, then remove. Slit the skins with a knife; they should slip off easily. Halve the tomatoes and squeeze them gently to remove the pulp and seeds. Chop the tomato flesh.
2. In a large serving bowl, add the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, longer if possible.
3. Cook the pasta until al dente in salty water. Drain, and add to the tomato mixture along with the mozzarella, grated. Toss well, and serve immediately.
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9 Comments:
Yummy - I make this with lightly sauteed eggplant and a little lemon juice. It's awesome in the summertime.
spazgrrl1974 at 5:00PM on 07/15/08
This looks Divine!
izatryt at 5:07PM on 07/15/08
Ya you're right! But it looks pretty easy too!
hungrychristel at 5:41PM on 07/15/08
Other herbs give it even more zip ... I like minced fresh oregano and/or rosemary ... and more garlic!
litagent at 5:54PM on 07/15/08
This sounds great, and perfect timing was just wondering what to have for dinner, thanks :)
Sarahrm at 6:18PM on 07/15/08
always one of my summertime favorites. the old italians used to cover it with a plate and keep it in the sun for a little while..... can't wait until my tomatoes come in.... it's usually the first dish i make with them.
pooch at 9:04AM on 07/16/08
we make it with chunks of brie marinated in the tomato/basil/oil mix and serve it with sauteed or poached salmon...wonderful
Cary at 2:31PM on 07/16/08
I make the same dish but mix mint with the basil and add some lemon for a little zip.
lgault at 4:57PM on 07/16/08
I like cooking my tomatoes (preferably Roma) with the skins left on for better nutrition and fiber content. They cook out so that you can eat the sauces and you won't notice the skins.
Often, I buy my tomatoes out of the produce section that have been set aside by the market for quick clearance. These are usually tomatoes that are becoming too ripe to handle much fondling by customers and are perfect for sauces...the riper, the better!
Also, you can add other items to suit the dish and/or your taste, such as fresh mushrooms, diced bell peppers, oregano, and dashes of red wine.
After cooking for a more consistent sauce, puree your finished product. When cooking foods such as this, stews, soups, stroganoff, chili beans, I simply put it in the frig for a couple of days and let it sit....it allows the flavors to blend and I think, makes a better dish to serve.
These sauces are great and have super versitility.....They can be used for numerous dishes. Many great suggestions so far. I like using them as a base for stuffed bell peppers with brown rice, stuffed tomatoes, pastas, and other dishes.
Lastly, they freeze very well!!
Enjoy ---- The Bear side of the Pair
KatnBear at 3:44PM on 02/22/09