Saturday, August 13, 2005

Pasta con Salsa Cruda di Pomodori

O
ccasionally, abundance flows into your life like a river. For me, this is one of those times. It's only mid-August, and I'm already avoiding friends for fear they'll offer me another zucchini from their gardens. But a fresh tomato will always be an offer this son of Italy can't refuse.

While I have seven lovely specimens preparing for their debut on the Roma tomato plant in my back yard, I recently came into posession of four mature beauties from the back yard of a friend. For me, it seemed preordained that they make their own debut in a production of Salsa Crudo di Pomodoro, fresh, or raw tomato sauce.

Sheila Lukens and Julie Rosso, in one of their Silver Palate cookbooks, have a similar recipe involving brie, rather than mozarella, and in my experience, it's been a huge success wherever I've had it. It may very well be worth the price of the cookbook. But my troops had it first.

I had my first taste of Salsa Cruda in the early seventies, from a recipe by Giuliano Bugialli. And while memory fades, I've had it a couple of times at restaurants in Liguria around Portofino or Rapallo. No matter; I do recall being very happy.

Note: This recipe is for mature audiences only. That is to say, use only the freshest, most mature tomatoes you can find at the market or you'll be disappointed with the outcome.

Pasta con Salsa Cruda di Pomodoro
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Penne, Rigatoni, or Mostacioli
4 Medium plum tomatoes, cut into chunks
4 - 6 Tbs. Fresh basil, finely chopped
4 - 6 Tbs. Flat-leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 Clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 - 2 Tbs. Extra-virgin olive oil
1 Cup mozarella, shredded (see note)
Salt & freshly-ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring a large pot—at least six quarts—of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta, and cook until it reaches the al dente state; approximately eight minutes.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a bowl large enough to accommodate the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, then add the basil, parsley, garlic and just enough olive oil to coat. Add the mozarella and toss to combine.

When the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander, and pour into the bowl. Toss to coat with the sauce until the mozarella begins to melt, and the tomatoes become slightly wilted.

To Serve:

Divide equally among four plates, and garnish with additional chopped parsley.

Serves four.

Note: I've written before that I nearly never freeze anything. But I find it useful to freeze mozarella for ten or twenty minutes when I intend to shred it with my box grater.

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