Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!
/Hello my loves,
Today we’re turning to nourishment in the physical sense, with a reminder that we're smack bang in the middle of tomato season, a matter that should not be ignored. The poor old tomato has suffered a tragic, trans-seasonal fate over the past few decades, perennially available on supermarket shelves but often tasting like absolutely nothing. In the natural rhythm of the vege patch, tomatoes generally sprout in spring, then fruit in summer through to sometime in autumn, although of course this is variable based on the bajillion micro-climates around the world.
Where I live, it’s well and truly tomato time, and that is a fact to be celebrated. To me, each tomato is its own encapsulation of all of the joy of summer. Each bright orb holds its personal dose of the warming sun energy that ripened it, accompanied by the luscious juiciness of so many of the earth’s offerings at this time of year. Stone fruit holds the same summery magic for me, and I’m currently having a whale of a time devouring copious quantities of both.
Today I’m sharing a tomato recipe that showcases some of the classics of summer in the simplest, but most delicious of ways. Let me tell you how it came to me. A long time ago, in a life that seems far, far away, I worked in the marketing team of a company that was run by a family of Italians. Brothers in fact, who each held their various roles. As I was going about my business one day, an order came down from on high: everyone was to report to the staffroom. Now. As I traipsed down the narrow stairs from the office I shared, I wondered what on earth was going on. This had never happened before. Entering the staffroom, I was confronted with a fantastical sight. A HUGE pot of water was boiling in one corner, plates and bowls and people were everywhere, and in the middle of it all were two very busy, very happy, very purposeful, quite elderly people. They were the parents of the brothers, the ones who’d made them all, and they’d come to make us lunch. All of us. The entire company. And they did.
They served us one of the simplest, but most delightful pasta dishes I’ve ever had. Much of my exposure to pasta at that point had been other countries’ interpretations of what pasta could be, i.e. swimming in huge quantities of sauce with multiple, often suspect components (sundried tomato and chicken, anyone?). This pasta was very different. So simple it seemed almost naked. A plain tomato sauce, sparingly applied, topped with crumbled ricotta and fresh basil leaves. That was it. I have to admit, I was initially suspicious. It seemed almost stingy to me, the way the pasta was sitting half-nude on the plate, its meagre toppings barely covering its shame. How wrong I was. With my first mouthful, I understood. The pasta sang, and the combination of creamy ricotta, bright tomato sauce and fragrant notes of basil was a revelation. It was quite literally summer on a plate, and it’s a dish I’ve turned to ever since at this time of year, when I want to cram in the last of that summer feeling, just before autumn starts to whisper in. And so today, I’m sharing my version with you, as a tribute to the waning summer. I must admit that I deviate a little from the original in being a little more liberal with my toppings (they don’t call me heavy-hand Rachel for nothing 😂 ), but other than that it’s my best effort at a faithful version. I hope it brings you as much joy as it’s brought me over the years, and please accept my best wishes for a beautiful weekend too. Until next week my loves 💛.
Pasta with basil, ricotta and roast tomato sauce
Serves 4
700g cherry tomatoes, or larger tomatoes cut in quarters
6 whole cloves garlic, skins on
500g pasta, or the amount you’d usually cook for 4 people (feel free to make your own)
A bunch of basil
200g good-quality ricotta
Olive oil for drizzling
Parmesan for grating
Salt
Pepper
Heat your oven to 220C, then tumble the tomatoes into a roasting tray. Add the whole garlic cloves and drizzle everything liberally with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Give the tray a shake to coat everything, then roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are well roasted, but still juicy, with a lovely bit of colour on top. Pull them out and let them cool a little, then take out the garlic cloves and set them aside. Pour the tomatoes and all their juices into a blender. Cut the pointy end off your garlic cloves and squeeze them from the opposite end, squirting their now-soft insides straight into your waiting tomatoes in the blender. Whiz everything until it’s smooth, then place in a saucepan, bring back to the boil, and cover to keep warm.
Cook your pasta as you usually would. While it’s on the boil, pick the basil leaves from their stalk, tearing any very large leaves into a few pieces. Drain the cooked pasta and divide it between your serving plates. Top each bowl of pasta with a healthy ladle of tomato sauce, then a handful of basil leaves, then crumble the ricotta over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly grated parmesan.
Love, Rachel xxx
