Linguini w fresh tomato sauce

7-18-16   Linguini w fresh tomato sauce

      

There was never any question about tonight’ dinner. Looking at all the fresh tomatoes from Patience’s porch garden, the obvious choice was pasta with a light, fresh tomato sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Linguini

2.     Fresh tomatoes from Patience’s porch garden – grated on the large teeth of a hand held cheese grater. 

3.     Tomato paste

4.     Fresh basil

5.     Parsley

6.      Olive oil

7.     Garlic

8.     Onions – ½ medium onion thinly sliced

9.     Garlic 1 large clove minced

10. Sweet Vermouth

11. Oregano, salt and pepper

12. Mozzarella cut into dice size pieces.

13. Kalamata olives.

PROCESS

Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the “heel”, and grate the tomato over a bowl to collect the pulp.  Set the skin aside.  For the 2 of us I used 6 medium sized tomatoes

Cook the onions in the oil until they begin to soften, then add one large clove of garlic through a garlic press.  Cook for several minutes before adding the tomatoes.  As the sauce is cooking, add a splash of Sweet Vermouth (or a red wine of your choice), a handful of Kalamata olives, fresh basil leaves, parsley, and oregano.  Continue cooking to allow the sauce to thicken.  A tablespoon of tomato paste can be added if needed.

Note – I decided to add the tomato skins to the sauce while it was cooking, and removed them before adding it to the pasta.  I don’t know if this is necessary, but thought I would get all that I could out of the fruit.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, mix in the sauce, and add the dice mozzarella.  Garnish with Basil and serve.

COMMENTS:

This is a great summer recipe.  It is easy and quick and can be a last minute week night dinner.  Any fresh tomatoes can be used.  I’ve done this before with Roma tomatoes. 

Patience and I gave this a 10 plus.

PASTA QUEST DAY 7...SUNDAY PASTA

Today is the day I try to recapture my mother's kitchen...an impossible task. My childhood Sundays had an aroma and flavor that will be with me until the day I depart this dear planet, and it all came from the pot on the stove. My mother's gravy. (There is disagreement among Italian-Americans as to the difference between gravy and sauce. Some feel if it has meat in it, it's gravy, if not, it's sauce. In our family, everything was gravy.) The gravy, with whatever meat it might contain, meatballs, sausage, beef, chicken, or a combination of several, would simmer on the stove all morning in preparation for our mid-day Sunday meal.

Today's gravy was made with chicken thighs and served on linguini, my wife's favorite pasta. It made to the stove around 3:30, and Patience and I enjoyed an early dinner at 6 PM.

5-8-11





Sunday Pasta…like mom used to make…just not as good.

INGREDIENTS:

28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes*
Olive oil
Garlic/onions
Chicken thighs, bone in skin removed
Red wine
Salt, pepper, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Brown chicken in olive oil and remove, de-glaze pan w wine and add the “stuff’ to the chicken.
Cook garlic, onions and red pepper flakes until soft, then add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Add the chicken, basil, oregano, cover and simmer over low heat for 2-hours. If the sauce is too thin remove lid and/or add 1-2

Comments:

Patience gives this an unqualified 10.5. My modesty requires me to limit it to a 10. This gravy/sauce is so good it should be declared illegal! If you should ever have the opportunity to have dinner at La Casa Renzulli this is the stuff you should request.



*I purchase my tomatoes on line from… http://www.ditalia.com/…they have several brands. My favorite is Rega