One major perk of blogging, and blogging recipes more specifically, is that just about everyone is willing to share excellent recipes with me. I will just be casually visiting and since everyone who reads my blog knows how much I love to cook, they will share, it’s awesome.
Specifically, Cheri, our Museum director and I were talking about tomatoes. I mentioned I had a ton from the garden, and she told me about this super easy fresh tomato and basil sauce. Yes fresh, not cooked. What a genius idea, I have never thought of this before. She also brought me a bag full of beautiful basil from her garden. Major score!!
The tomatoes are key to this recipe, they must be the very best you can find, perfect ripeness and if you can get garden tomatoes, so much better. They are such simple ingredients but they are loaded with so much flavor. Love that!
The great thing about this recipe is you can adjust it to make as much or little as you like. It’s all about what you have.
Ingredients: 10 garden tomatoes various sizes, 1 garlic clove, large handful of basil, salt and pepper to taste, olive oil, pasta (I used Penne)
Isn’t this basil gorgeous?
To start, dice tomatoes in small bite-sized pieces.
Then dice the garlic.
Add to a medium sized glass bowl.
Then start chopping the basil. I find it easiest to take the leaves and layer them together to chop.
Add to the tomatoes.
along with a good amount of salt
and pepper.
Mix well, and then drizzle olive oil on top of the tomatoes, about 1/4 inch above the tomatoes, don’t stir.
Let this sit on the counter top for about 2-3 hours, cover if needed. This gives the flavors a chance to meld together.
After a few hours.
Go ahead and cook your pasta, al dente.
Stir the fresh tomato and basil sauce. Taste and see if it needs more salt.
Serve on top of the pasta and enjoy!
The fresh sauce combined with the pasta is pure bliss.
Enjoy, trust me you will enjoy!
Print This RecipeFresh Tomato and Basil Sauce
10 garden tomatoes various sizes
1 garlic clove
large handful of basil
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
pasta (I used Penne)
Dice tomatoes and garlic, add to a large bowl, julienne basil, salt and pepper to taste, mix well. Then drizzle Olive oil on top until it covers all the tomatoes about 1/4 inch, cover and let sit in room temperature 2-3 hours before serving. Cook pasta al dente, mix the fresh sauce and add on top of pasta.
I am happy to list this post @
From the Land of Monkeys “Mouth Watering Mondays”
Little House, ” Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange”
Balancing Beauty and Bedlam “Tasty Tuesday”
Real Sustenance, “Seasonal Sundays”
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, “Slightly Indulgent”
All the Small Stuff, “Tuesday at the Table”
Life as Mom “Recipe Swap”
A Prairie Story, “Recipe Swap”
Miz Helen’s, “Full Plate Thursday”
It’s a Keeper, “It’s a Keeper Thursday”
Friday Foods, “Mom Trends”
Grocery Cart Challenge ”Recipe Swap”
Designs by Gollum “Foodie Friday”
and “Ann Kroeker “Food on Fridays”
Wow! That looks so easy!!! And we’ll have some big tomatoes in a few weeks. Can’t wait to give it a try!
Oh my – this looks so good!
Oh YUM!! I so want to try this with the Roma tomatoes from my garden!
Oh this looks delicious! And such a perfect sauce for summer, since it doesn’t have to be cooked. It doesn’t get much better than basil, garlic and tomatoes!
That looks SO good! And yes, the basil looks amazing, so fresh and green.
I’m going to remember this next time I think of defaulting to a jarred sauce like Prego.
Thanks for linking to Food on Fridays!
What a gorgeous recipe. The tomatoes are so yummy right now. So glad I found you via Designs by Gollum. I hope you can join the Momtrends recipe linky and share your divine creation:
http://www.momtrends.com/2011/07/friday-food-recipe-linky/
This sounds amazing!! I have an abundance of basil, but my tomatoes are not doing well 🙁 Visiting from All the Small Stuff!
I have always made this, (it’s a go to meal in the summer) and heard one, small additional step that makes this dish over the top… It comes from Lynne Rosetto Kasper of the Splendid Table on NPR. After you have let things sit on your counter for a while, you slightly UNDERCOOK the pasta, then spoon the juices that have collected in the bowl into the hot empty pasta pot. Set it over medium low heat and add the pasta and toss until the pasta absorbs the juices. Then combine it with the tomatoes and basil. I also rub the serving bowl with a cut clove of garlic, and sometimes add some red pepper flakes at the beginning with the tomatoes and basil, and we add parmesan at the table. It’s also not as good if you don’t salt the water that the pasta cooks in.
Great tips, thanks I will have to try that. I bet the addition of the red pepper flakes and parm is delicious.