I love tomatoes. I mean I really love tomatoes. You know that friend you have that’s the worst kind of music snob and you can never get anything but dismissive hrms when they look at your iPod playlists? Yeah, I’m like that over tomatoes. When I go to restaurants, I ask the waiter (or chef) if the tomatoes look good before I get anything with fresh tomatoes. I am that guy. Growing up in the south around some of the best home grown tomatoes in the United States ruined me to the point of snobbery. Now that I live in Northern California, home of the mystical heirloom tomatoes and a 7 month growing season, I am seriously a nightmare. I need therapy. But I digress…

Yes… I love tomatoes. That’s why, per me, there’s no better quick dinner than using some fresh cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden to make a pomodoro sauce and serve over pasta. This is a great as a primi (starter) dish or a main course if you have some vegetarian friends coming over. Pomodoro sauce, unlike ragus, marinaras and bologneses are meant to be cooked and eaten quickly so you can taste the freshness of the ingredients. I started with a couple of handfuls of washed cherry and teardrop tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, onion, salt, olive oil and red pepper flake. You don’t even have to blanch the tomatoes and remove the skins because on the little tomatoes the skins are thin enough not to cause problems like bigger tomatoes can.

To prepare I start with olive oil in a hot pan, sauteed the onion, then garlic, then I add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper flake. I sauté gently until the tomatoes pop and a light sauce is formed. I usually add my pasta to the boiling, salted water right as I start the pomodoro because they’ll finish at the same time. I used bucatini here because I like the way it stands up to the sauce. Garnished with basil and topped with a little Parmigiano Reggiano ( I used Piave here for a subtler, more earthy taste), all-in, this takes about 13 minutes to from pan to table. Pair this with nice glass of California Pinot Noir or any vino di tavola rosso and you can enjoy your garden fresh (or farmer’s market fresh) bounty.

What do you like to do with your fresh summer tomatoes?