Pasta With Fresh Tomato Sauce

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Make this quick, easy spaghetti dinner when tomatoes are at their peak in the summer.

Prep Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
25 mins
Servings:
6

When tomatoes are at their peak in the summer, we love to make a quick, uncooked tomato sauce for pasta that lets the flavor of the tomatoes really shine. It's super simple and quick to put together. Pasta with fresh tomatoes is a true taste of the season, much like tomato salad, gazpacho, or a tomato sandwich made with white bread and mayo.

To make the sauce, all you need to do is chop up the tomatoes, garlic, basil, and parsley and combine them in a bowl with olive oil (or use the food processor if you prefer). The only cooking required is for the pasta, so make it easy on yourself and choose a thin noodle like spaghettini that cooks fast. Drain the pasta, toss it with the sauce, and a luscious vegetarian dinner is ready.

close-up of Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Marcus Nilsson

The Right Way to Store Tomatoes

If you're refrigerating your tomatoes, you're missing out. This pasta with fresh tomatoes recipe calls for tomatoes that have not been refrigerated. The reason? Chilling the fruits dulls their flavor. Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down; this leaves you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy. Stop keeping tomatoes in the crisper drawer and you'll notice a difference. Plus, if you store them on the counter, they may perfume your kitchen with their distinctive aroma. Keep them in a bowl, sit them on a plate, or turn them into a centerpiece on your table if counterspace is short.

There's one exception to this rule: If you have ripe tomatoes, like big, juicy heirlooms, that are almost ready to burst, refrigerate them if you're not able to use them straight away. Otherwise, keep tomatoes out of the fridge.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ pounds unrefrigerated ripe tomatoes (preferably plum)

  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves

  • 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic (from 2 garlic cloves), plus more if desired

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 pound spaghetti or spaghettini

  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Chop tomatoes, herbs, and garlic and mix with oil:

    Finely chop tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic, and mix together with oil (or pulse ingredients, including oil, in a food processor to blend).

  2. Cook pasta:

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente.

  3. Drain pasta and toss with sauce:

    Drain pasta, and toss it in a serving bowl with the raw sauce.

  4. Serve, drizzled with oil and with cheese:

    Transfer to 6 shallow bowls, and drizzle with oil. Serve with cheese.

Recipe copyright 2012 by Eugenia Bone.

Other Summer Tomato Pasta Recipes You'll Want to Try:

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, July 2012
Updated by
Victoria Spencer
Victoria Spencer, senior food editor, MarthaStewart.com
Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.

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