Or…Salsa di Pomodoro Veloce.
I call this dish Christmas in July. It was a hot day, the flat of tomatoes I’d picked up from Costco were ready to be used, and we had some avocados in the fridge that were ripe.
It’s a light sauce that comes together quickly, and is best served with angel hair pasta, some diced avocado over the top, and some homemade focaccia bread on the side.
We use 1/2 avocado per serving, but this batch makes about four servings — perfect for leftovers.
Ingredients
8-9 ripe tomatoes, any variety, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped
4 Tablespoons olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled, but not smashed
1 fresh parsley sprig (if emergency, you can use 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes)
salt
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
1 avocado, cut into small dice, for two servings
Instructions
Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, then plunge into an ice water bath. Peel the tomatoes, then cut in half, and remove seeds. Chop into a small dice.
In a small saucepan, place tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley and a pinch of salt. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic and parsley. Taste. Add more salt if necessary.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil, and when it hits a full rolling boil, add a hefty pinch of salt. Add 1/2 pound angel hair pasta, and cool until al dente. Drain.
Into the pasta pan, add a spoonful of tomato sauce. Add the drained pasta, then the rest of the tomato sauce. Using tongs, lift and mix the tomato sauce with the pasta.
Note: the tomato sauce may be a touch saucier than canned sauces in the store. If you add it to hot pasta, the pasta will absorb this, and flavor the dish.
The original recipe says “Do not sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese,” and “if you like a stronger flavor [of sauce], thicken over high heat for the last five minutes of the cooking time, making sure it does not stick to the pan.”
I never do this, instead I toss it with the hot pasta.
More notes: this depends on a good, flavorful, ripe tomato. If you don’t have access to a garden, or the flats of tomatoes at Costco, buy grocery store tomatoes, but don’t put them in the fridge. Leave them out on the counter until they are beautifully ripe.
