Rotini With Fresh Tomato Sauce

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Serves

Introduction

This is quick cooking at its finest and, we might add, very healthy. If rotini isn’t available, use corkscrew noodles, bow-ties, or large macaroni.

This is a simple and delicious uncooked sauce suitable for the late summer or early fall when tomatoes are full of ripe, sweet flavor. It can be made at the last minute, as well as a couple of hours ahead of serving. It then gets a little juicier and gives the flavors a bit of time to blend. We especially like this on spiraled pasta, but it’s great on any noodle.

Ingredients

	~	Fresh Tomato Sauce
	1½	lb. dried rotini pasta or other spiral noodle Olive oil, for cooked pasta

Fresh Tomato Sauce

	2½	lb. vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (see notes in Tabbouleh)
	2	shallots, peeled and minced
	1	small clove garlic, peeled and minced
	1	cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
	⅓	cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian flat-leaf)
	¼	cup extra-virgin olive oil
	2	Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
	1	tsp. salt
	~	Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

Prepare tomato sauce. Cook pasta as directed in Understanding and Cooking Fresh and Dried Pasta. After draining, toss pasta with a little olive oil (just enough to coat it). Divide pasta among individual, warmed bowls. Top with the room temperature sauce and serve immediately.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use, up to 3 hours. Makes about 4 cups.

Notes

Basil is certainly a natural with tomatoes, but other fresh herbs work very well, particularly fresh tarragon or fresh mint.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.