Curnonsky, a celebrated writer on French gastronomy, once wrote, “La cuisine, c’est quand les choses ont le goût de ce qu’elles sont“– or, “Good food is when things taste like what they are.” Long before the term “farm-to-table” was coined (and even longer before it became a cliché), the idea was already out there: buy the best ingredients, which, by definition, will usually be in season and from your region. Cook them in a way that accentuates their natural flavors. And above all, don’t overcomplicate things.


I could wax poetic about a simple meal prepared just-so to bring out the flavors of a few excellent ingredients– or you could make this pasta and experience that joy for yourself. This recipe is all about ingredients and technique. Bursting, end-of-summer tomatoes get briefly blanched, torn apart, and then gently simmered down into a fresh, light, and flavorful tomato sauce. A bit of butter at the end adds just enough fat to enrich the sauce and carry its flavor through your mouth with every bite. And cooking the pasta in the sauce imparts incredible tomato flavor deep into the pasta.

This is it for summer tomatoes– make this recipe while you still can.

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Previously:
One year ago: Tarte à la Tomate
Two years ago: Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (our house cookie and a reader favorite)

And for my Australians:
Six months ago: Umami Bomb Mushroom Soup + How to Make Your Veg Taste Better
1.5 years ago: Tip: How to Lessen the Bite of Red Onions
2.5 years ago: Muesli with Nuts, Dried Fruit, and Coconut

Other seasonal pasta recipes:
Fettuccine with Rosemary and Lemon (featuring the same technique of finishing the pasta in the sauce)
Squash Blossom Strozzapreti (this sauce is like buttah)
Or go all in on fall with this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or this Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage, Caramelize Onions, and Tofu Ricotta

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Pasta Al Pomodoro

Adapted from the New York Times (which has paywalled its cooking site!)
Serves 3

Ingredients

3-3.5 pounds (1.3-1.6kg) fresh tomatoes (I used Early Girls from my garden and from the farmers market)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch crushed red-pepper flakes
1 pound (453g) dry short or long pasta (Use the best quality you can find, here. Though Trader Joe’s pasta is usually not very good, their Organic Italian Artisan Pastas are excellent.)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
a big handful of basil or mint, sliced
2 tablespoons parmesan (or Grana Padano, if you’re poor like me), plus more to serve

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, score a small, shallow X-mark on the bottom of each tomato. Then flip the tomato over and carve out the little brown bit around where the stem was.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in all of the tomatoes. Let boil one minute, or until you can see the skin barely starting to pull away from the X-marks you cut into the tomatoes. Remove tomatoes from water. Once cool enough to touch, peel the tomatoes. (The skins should now rub right off.) Then cut the tomatoes crosswise along their hemisphere line and use your fingers to push out the majority of the seeds. (Don’t worry about getting them all.) Finally, use your hands to break the tomatoes apart into small chunks into a bowl.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 25 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, heat the water for the pasta. Cook the pasta in salted water about half of the way cooked. (Remove the pasta when it still has a slight bit of crunch to it.) Reserve at least two cups of the cooking water. (I do this by dunking a big mug or glass measuring cup into the pot of pasta before I drain it.)

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the pasta to the sauce and cook over medium-high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is al dente. You will likely need to add some of the reserved pasta water to prevent the sauce from becoming too dry.

At the last moment, remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, butter, basil or mint, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Serve with additional cheese and olive oil if desired.