Mangia bene, ridi spesso, ama molta!
Eat well, laugh often, love much!
The heirloom tomato is a gardener's prize. The robust flavor, the diversity of shape, size, and the joy of growing a plant that has been passed down for generations is a true gift. Due to its fragility, ease of bruising, susceptibility to disease and cracking, the heirloom tomato is not usually found in stores. You can get them at farmers markets, local farms, or grow them yourself. Garden tomatoes taste like sunshine because they require many hours of sunlight to convert the sugars for the best flavor pop. Late August and early September are the times to cultivate this delicious, sweet fruit. I love slicing them up with a sprinkling of sea salt, cracked pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, a delight for the taste buds. I was lucky to have an abundance of these heirloom tomato beauties and decided to make a homemade tomato sauce for friends. I come from an Italian American family and I LOVE Italian food. Pasta is one of my favorite meals and I consider making pasta sauce an art form. It was such a joy to make this batch with my younger son, he did it all and it came out perfect.
Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Start by rinsing 6-7 medium to large heirloom tomatoes, pat dry, slice into small chunks, and set aside in a small bowl. Peel 2-3 garlic cloves, using a garlic press, add the pressed garlic to the tomato chunks and allow the garlic to rest with the tomato for 10 minutes. Press another 2 garlic cloves into a smaller bowl and set aside. Peel and cut a large sweet onion, add the diced onion and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until the onion softens. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of sea salt and a few grinds of cracked black pepper. Once the onions are soft, add in the tomato and garlic to the saucepan. At this point, I add in 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes which turns this marinara sauce into an arrabiata sauce; meaning "angry" in Italian, referring to the spicy character of the sauce. Add in the rest of the pressed garlic to the sauce and simmer uncovered on medium/low heat for 20-30 minutes. Keeping the sauce uncovered while cooking helps to thicken the sauce and concentrate its flavor.
While the sauce starts to cook, bring a large pot of water to boil for the dry pasta. Once boiling, add in the dry pasta and gently push the longer strands into the boiling water, cook for 8-12 minutes. Do not break the long pasta as it is considered culturally incorrect. Broken pasta makes it harder to twirl on the fork and for the sauce to stick to the pasta properly. The choice of your dry pasta can make or break the meal. The quality of the pasta has to do with the taste, type of wheat, the shape, and the ability of the pasta to absorb the pasta sauce. When you buy dry pasta, look for brands that are imported from Italy, and pasta that is "bronze drawn" or "gold drawn". These terms refer to the method of the pasta being pressed through bronze or gold dies creating a rough, porous texture which helps sauces adhere better to the pasta. Gold drawn pasta is a bit more expensive and absorbs pasta sauce slightly better, both are great choices.
After 20 minutes, use a flat spatula to mash some of the tomatoes, add in another sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste, then cook for another 10 minutes.
As the pasta and sauce finish cooking, toss together a garden salad with fresh herbs and make garlic bread to soak up any remaining pasta sauce when served.
Some families have a "secret" ingredient that makes their pasta sauce extra special, mine is no secret, it's sharing simple, fresh ingredients with those you love.
Buon appetito!
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