by Austin Coe Butler
August means an inundation of tomatoes, a true embarrassment of riches. The feral, skyward sprawl of tomato plants begin to sag and snap under the weight of dozens of jewel-like tomatoes each bearing an incomparable fragrance and sweetness. The gardener vacillates between ecstasy and dismay at this boundless harvest. Here’s a modern take on a classic sauce to help you get through all those tomatoes.
Pasta al Pomodoro is a quintessential Italian dish—simply pasta with a rustic, chunky sauce of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. This “2.0” version from EXAU Olive Oil takes one simple cue from modern gastronomy to create a phenomenal dish. By blending the sauce and utilizing the natural pectic in tomatoes, a rich emulsion is formed, creating a silky sauce that is the very flavor of summer.
This recipe is the time to show off simple ingredients of exquisite quality, and you can find them all with the exception of the basil in our shop. We have gorgeous, ruby-like cherry tomatoes and heads of fresh garlic. Our impressive array of olive oils are right alongside them, and an honest wedge of Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano is waiting for you in the cheese case.
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves smashed
1 peperoncino or small red chili pepper (fresh or dried) (We sell garlands of dried Calabrian peperoncini)
5 leaves of basil
1 lb cherry tomatoes, the sweeter the better
1 lb pasta, preferably a long noodle like spaghetti or Makaira Chittara
4 tbsp Georgio Cravero Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a boil.
Quarter the cherry tomatoes.
In a small sauce pot, add the garlic and peperoncino. Cover with the olive oil and set it on low heat. If using dried peperoncino, add it with the tomatoes to insure it doesn’t burn. Cook until the garlic turns fragrant and golden, usually 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes to the pot and raise the heat to medium. Stir and cover. Cook for 18 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
Add the basil and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 2 minutes. Cut the heat.
In a blender or using an immersion blender, puree the sauce into a velvety consistency, think Campell’s tomato soup.
Cook the pasta 2 to 3 minutes shy of the manufacturer’s recommendation for al dente.
Add the sauce to a large pan over low heat. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce along with a ladle of the starchy pasta water. Raise the heat to medium-high and toss the pasta continuously.
Remove from the heat and add the Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir to combine and serve immediately, finishing with a thread of extra virgin olive oil.