If you are lucky enough to have access to beautiful NC summer tomatoes, you will have some fine eating for the season. This week we enjoyed a few fantastic tomato dishes and I am sure that Mike would agree that a slightly adapted version of Vivian Howard’s tomato pie was the clear winner for him, well both us, but my favorite dinner was another adapted version of a Yotam Ottolenghi recipe spaghetti with cherry tomato sauce.
Of course I love seasonal vegetables and we eat plenty of tomatoes in season, among my favorites are Bert’s cherry and Clementine tomatoes the mix made for a nice bowl of pasta…
While I started out to make Ina’s or another one of selected guests chef’s tomato pie recipe, I change my pot-luck selection to Another Yotam Ottolenghi tomato dish. Since I had such an abundance of tomatoes this week I needed a rather quick dinner after fiddling with tomato pie the previous day as Vivian calls for roasted tomatoes as well as raw, and caramelized onions that take a bit of time.
Both dishes are wonderful and I would not hesitate to make either of them again…Happy summer tomato time!
Slightly adapted Spaghetti with Yotam’s Cherry Tomato Sauce
5 tablespoons EVOO
2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic
1 pound 2 ounces cherry tomatoes (I used a variety)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 dried ancho Chile, torn into pieces (I had pinches of Calabrian Chile flakes)
3/4 + 2 tablespoon water (I could not resist adding an additional 1/2 cup of white wine and simmered down a bit longer)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 ounces of spaghetti or fettuccine 1/4 ounces finely grated parmesan cheese
Put the oil into a large sauté panned place over medium-high heat, add the garlic and fry for up to minute, stirring a few times until the garlic is starting to caramelize. Carefully add all of the tomatoes along with the sugar, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Pour in the water and 1/2 cup of wine if using and stir for 4-5 minutes until tomatoes start to break down and the liquid is bubbling. Decrease the heat to a medium low temperature for about 1 hour, stirring often until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the basil and remove from heat and set aside while you make the pasta. Drain the cooked pasta/reserve some of the pasta water incase your sauce is too thick. Stir the pasta into the sauce and serve with grated part, additional basil, and pepper flakes.
Cucina Magia 
Fresh and delicious! I like how he calls for a pinch of heat with the pepper flakes. Looks perfect!
Tracy I believe he called for a chili pepper and I used the pinches of Calabrian chili flakes I just left them. Very good dinner and so easy.