It's dinnertime, nothing has been prepped, and people are hungry. But, dinner can be on the table in 15 minutes if you have a box of spaghetti, 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, fresh garlic and basil, and some high quality extra virgin olive oil.
This is a simple dish, reminiscent of la cucina povera (the peasant kitchen). But it is wholesome, fresh, delicious, and comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Pasta with Fresh Pomodoro
1 lb. pasta (any shape, but I used spaghetti)
3-4 large beefsteak tomatoes
olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup ricotta*
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
Boil pasta and cook 2 minutes less than stated on package directions. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
Cut tomatoes in half, place a box grater over a large bowl, and grate the flesh of the tomatoes until you are left just with the skin.
Heat oil, cook garlic until fragrant, add grated tomatoes, basil leaves, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook for about five minutes until liquid is reduced.
Remove basil, add pasta and ricotta. Stir until blended. Cook an additional 2 minutes to allow pasta to finish cooking (add reserved pasta water if it appears dry).
Serve topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
*Note: Since I did not have ricotta on hand, I cut up small slivers of fontina cheese. But really, this can be made without the added cheese (it is still delicious) ... but do not skip the Parmigiano-Reggiano!
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