Linguine with Fresh, Local Tomatoes

Copyright 2009, Maria Liberati
Aug/Sept 2009 issue of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati ezine now ready at http://tinyurl.com/pfo8xb
 

Here is a recipe being prepared, as we speak, in the test kitchens of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm. It will be today’s lunch accompanied by a chilled Trebbiano D’Abbruzzo wine.
(read about the tomatoes in last week’s blog at
http://marialiberati.com/2009/08/22/a-house-is-a-home-with-lots-of-food-of-course/)
 Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes

 A light pasta dish, perfect for the end of summer. Topped off with cheese this dish becomes a dining alfresco experience. You can also make this dish in the morning, refrigerate and have dinner ready and waiting when you come home, or pack in containers for a picnic lunch or a lunch for the office.

• 1 lb linguine pasta

• 6-8 red ripe tomatoes (plum tomatoes or tomatoes grown on the vine)

• 1 lb fresh mozzarella cut into cubes

• a pinch of black pepper

• a pinch of salt

• a handful fresh basil

sea salt for cooking the pasta

Bring to a boil a pot of water for pasta. Place in sea salt. When boiling, place in already washed tomatoes for 2-3 seconds, remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon. Lower heat under pot and cover. Peel tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into strips. Transfer tomatoes to a food processor and blend with a pinch of salt. Add in 2 tblsps olive oil. Blend at moderate speed. When sauce is blended, set aside.

Raise heat under pot and bring pot to a boil again. Place in linguine and cook for 8 minutes or as directed on package. When cooked to al dente drain in a colander and let cold water run on top of pasta for a few seconds.

Place a white kitchen towel on a table and place separate pasta strands to dry. When dry, place in bowl. Top with the cold pasta sauce. Cut fresh mozzarella into cubes and mix in. Top with some freshly grated pepper, fresh chopped, basil leaves. Place in container and cover, put in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, wash cherry tomatoes, cut in half and dry with paper towels. Toss into pasta with more fresh basil leaves and serve. You can also drizzle each serving with some extra virgin olive oil.

For more recipes, travel stories, interviews, menus , recipe contest, check out the the Aug/Sept 2009 issue of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm at http://tinyurl.com/pfo8xb
Get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions  just in time for the Holidays and filled with over 140 recipes, menus and short stories about Holidays spent in the mountains of Italy.
Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,
Maria
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