No-Cook Tomato & Basil Sauce

Serve with:

• Busiate
• Farfalle
• Foglie d’ulivo
• Ricotta Gnocchi Dough
• Strozzapreti
• Tagliolini

Ingredients

• 2¼ pounds (1 kg) ripe tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ loosely packed cups (30 grams) fresh basil leaves, roughly torn, plus more for serving
• Kosher salt
• ⅓ to ½ cup (80 to 120 ml) high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Optional, for larger tomato varieties. Bring a pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. With a paring knife, score the bottoms of the tomatoes with a small X, just piercing the skin. Drop them into the water and cook until the skin near the X starts to loosen, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice bath. When the tomatoes are cool, peel away the skins. Remove the pulp and seeds and roughly chop the flesh.
2. If you’re using small tomatoes, halve or quarter them.
3. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, and basil in a large serving bowl. Season generously with salt, then drizzle in the oil. Stir to combine. Leave the sauce to sit, covered, for at least 1 hour, ideally in a warm, sunny place.
4. Cook your pasta of choice to your liking—this is not a time for undercooking and finishing in the sauce.
5. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. Finish with another drizzle of oil, more basil, and a shower of cheese if you’d like. If you can bear it, let the pasta marinate in the sauce for 15 minutes before serving.