Years ago I discovered a recipe for tomato vinaigrette in one of Jeremiah Tower's books. It was delicious with pasta, but required peeling and seeding the tomatoes first. Instead, here’s my own laid-back rendition of an uncooked tomato sauce. It’s especially good on a warm day, when you want to limit how much time you spend by the stove.

Steps

1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, shallot, tomatoes, herbs, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, a big pinch of salt, and a couple of turns of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest at room temperature at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
2. When ready to eat, put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil. Cook pasta to al dente, then drain. Taste tomato sauce, adding more salt if necessary. Toss drained pasta with tomato sauce and serve immediately.