Uncooked Tomato Sauce

    Uncooked tomato sauce is a long time family favorite dish. It was conceived years ago on a hot summer day! I had a pile of very ripe tomatoes that needed to be used. Really what this dish is, is macerated tomatoes. See when you macerate things like tomatoes or strawberries, their juice flow from the fruit and it creates a sauce of sorts. By letting the tomatoes sit in the salty, olive oil it pulls their juices out and that creates a sauce. It also flavors them. I love that after lunch I can make this sauce and just set it aside. Then at dinner time (when I am tired) all I have to do is cook up the pasta!

 

Uncooked Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

 

12 or so medium, ripe tomatoes

¼ cup good olive oil

A generous splash of balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves

6 large fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of cooked pasta, (do not cook pasta until you are ready to eat)

 

Anywhere between 2-5 hours before you are going to eat make pasta sauce.

Cut tomatoes into medium size cubes, around ½ “.  It is important to cut the tomatoes on a board where you can save all the juices. You want all the tomatoes for the sauce. Put the tomatoes, juices, seeds and all in a large bowl. Finely minces garlic cloves and add to tomatoes. Tear basil into small pieces and add to tomatoes. Add, oil, balsamic, some salt and pepper. Stir all together, cover the bowl and set aside on counter. Important you do NOT put the sauce in fridge. It will change the texture and slow down the maceration. When you are ready to eat, cook pasta and add to sauce. Taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper.

Tips:

1. I like to add fresh mozzarella to this dish. I cut the cheese into small cube and add it to the sauce when I add all the other ingredients, so the cheese can marinate too. I also serve the pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese but you can make this dish with no cheese.

2. Other herbs are good too; just make sure you use fresh herbs. Dried herbs do not work well in this dish.

3. You can add more balsamic and make it more like a vinaigrette or use no balsamic. If you use more balsamic cut back on the oil a bit.

4. What makes this dish is good, ripe tomatoes. This is why this is a summer dish. If your tomatoes do not have flavor, your sauce will be bland. Also a flavorful olive oil is important.

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Comments

[karen andreola]

It's the season for tomato sandwiches and this rich/red delicious looking (and sounding) sauce you posted. I've been eating something like this without knowing that this is what other people do, too. I think now I will add garlic.
It was probably all the tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic my Italian grandmother grew and ate that contributed to her long life (99).
Karen A.

[Kalyan]

looks delicious....just mouthwatering!

[Theresa]

YUM!!!!!! Thank you for sharing this, Clarice. I love tomatoes - in any form. This looks simple, fresh and delicious!

[Barb]

Hi Clarice!

I am always looking for recipes for fresh tomatoes...it's the only time of year I eat fresh tomatoes, unless they are from a hothouse, so I grow lots of them in my garden, so I can can them or freeze them. I can't wait to try this recipe!

Hugs,
Barb

[Tracy]

I do love fresh sauces! BTW, the woman pictured in my most recent post is Tierney!

[Angie]

Yum and yum!

[Lorrie]

Sounds, and looks, delicious. A great idea for a hot summer day when you don't want to cook much.

[Thimbleanna]

Oooh, YUM! Your picture is making me hungry Clarice!