You may say "to-may-to" while I say "to-mah-to" but we can all agree: a juicy, delicious, sweet tomato at its peak of ripeness is what "tomato lovers" crave in July and August. Whether you slurp one whole with salt, slice it over a pizza, chop and stir, or make a naked BLT (hold the bacon & lettuce), tomatoes are the "rock star" veggie (fruit?) right now.
Old Town Triangle neighbor, Patti Lovinelli has been making her Italian family recipe for years. "In 15-20 minutes and only 5 ingredients (cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil & salt/pepper) you'll have the best fresh sauce without heating up your kitchen." And isn't that what we're all looking for?
Patti doesn't use a recipe - she eyeballs quantities - but shared a few tips: use more garlic and olive oil if you like. Make a full pound of pasta and simply double the ingredients. Angel Hair and Linguine will soak up more sauce than Penne.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15-20 minutes |
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You may say "to-may-to" while I say "to-mah-to" but we can all agree: a juicy, delicious, sweet tomato at its peak of ripeness is what "tomato lovers" crave in July and August. Whether you slurp one whole with salt, slice it over a pizza, chop and stir, or make a naked BLT (hold the bacon & lettuce), tomatoes are the "rock star" veggie (fruit?) right now.
Old Town Triangle neighbor, Patti Lovinelli has been making her Italian family recipe for years. "In 15-20 minutes and only 5 ingredients (cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil & salt/pepper) you'll have the best fresh sauce without heating up your kitchen." And isn't that what we're all looking for?
Patti doesn't use a recipe - she eyeballs quantities - but shared a few tips: use more garlic and olive oil if you like. Make a full pound of pasta and simply double the ingredients. Angel Hair and Linguine will soak up more sauce than Penne.
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Ingredients
- 6 tbsp light olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 container cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes optional
- Romano cheese grated
Servings: people
Instructions
- Saute garlic in olive oil just until soft ( do not brown ). Add basil, saute for another minute. Add tomatoes to pan. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. With a heavy slotted spoon, smash tomatoes while they cook, until very soft (about 15-20 minutes). Spoon over cooked pasta. Save a little pasta water - add it to dish if it seems dry. Garnish with Romano cheese and more chopped basil or Italian flat-leaf parsley.
- Quick Tip: In a hurry? Microwave tomatoes for a few minutes, then saute. Select very ripe tomatoes to get more juice when mashing.
Recipe Notes
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