Mellowed Fresh Tomatoes from the Weeknight Kitchen

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Aug 2nd 2007 @ 8:55AM

Lynne Rosetto Kasper, host of American Public Media's weekly food show The Splendid Table, had a weekly newsletter called the Weeknight Kitchen. Every Wednesday she (or some Public Radio staffer) sends out a email that contains a seasonal recipe, along with tips for adjusting it, dishes that would accompany it nicely and anecdotes from Rosetto Kasper about they first time she tasted this or that particular foodstuff.

Oftentimes I get the email, read it through and then delete it after realizing that I'd never make the recipe. However, the one that came out this week is simple, and hardly requires any cooking at all (just the boiling of some pasta). She just has you chop up fresh tomatoes, mix them with some seasonings and let them hang out for 30 minutes to 3 hours. The broken-down tomatoes get tossed with quickly cooked pasta and a grating of cheese and dinner (along side a green salad or some grilled zucchini) is done.

Lynne's full recipe is after the jump.

Mellow

Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish

1 clove garlic, split
3 pounds richly flavored tomatoes (if possible, one-third cherry type, one-third mellow-tasting, and one-third low-acid), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 generous pinches hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti, or linguine
6 quarts boiling salted water
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn

1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

1. Vigorously rub a pasta serving bowl with the garlic and discard the clove. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, oil, and the salt. Gently combine. Let stand at room temperature from 30 minutes to 3 hours.

2. When ready to eat, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling salted water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain in a colander and turn it into the pasta bowl. Quickly add the black pepper and basil, and toss everything together. Taste the pasta for seasoning and serve. If you like, pass cheese at the table.

Filed Under: Ingredients
Tags: america, dinner, grains, Lynne Rosetto Kasper, LynneRosettoKasper, mellowed tomatoes, quick dinner, The Spendid Table, vegetables, Weeknight Kitchen

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

8-02-2007 @4:26PM Shannon said... This might be a rookie foodie question, but what types of tomatoes are mellow tasting and/or low acid? Beefsteak? Heirloom? Roma?
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8-02-2007 @1:14PM MJ said... This would be great with risotto
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8-02-2007 @4:29PM Marisa McClellan said... Shannon, this time of year, just about every tomato you find would work nicely for this. The sweeter, fruitier ones like cherry or grape tomatoes work nicely, along with some of the orange or yellow tomatoes that are out there right now. If you follow the link to her original recipe, you'll see that she has some recommendations as to what 'maters might be good.
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