No-cook sauces perfect for summer pasta

(I wait all year to make this pasta dish with fresh pesto and tomatoes)

Pasta is something my husband and I can eat almost every night — there are so many ways to prepare it, the possibilities are endless.

But summer pasta is something special, especially when you use fresh ingredients from the garden: Plum tomatoes warmed by the sun, fresh basil and garlic tossed with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan are all you need for the most simple of sauces.

Produce Recipes for the Pasta Pot is featured on today’s Busy Cook in the Journal.
Pasta and Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Pine Nuts is a simple recipe that will put a meal on the table in no time. There's also a risotto recipe (not pasta, but still in the starch family) and tips on how to perfectly cook pasta.

One of my favorite summer pasta dishes is Pasta Pomodoro. All you have to do is cube some of the ripest plum tomatoes you can find and toss them with extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic and basil. Season as you would a tomato salad: sea salt, freshly ground pepper, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a shaving of Parmesan. Let the tomato mixture sit at room temperature for about an hour while you boil your favorite pasta (I like fettuccine with this recipe) and perhaps turn some day-old bread into garlic bread. The juices from the tomatoes, oil and vinegar make the most delicious sauce, just by letting it stand like that.

And then there’s Pesto Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil (you can also add some chunks of homemade mozzarella), which is another star of the summer pasta lineup.

I have been squirreling away little bags of pesto in the freezer for the winter and usually have a small jar ready to use in the fridge (seal it with a good layer of olive oil so it doesn’t turn brown), so I can make this recipe in the time it takes to boil the water and pasta.

Here is all you need to do for a meal that never quits in summer:

(Use an assortment of colorful tomatoes to make this pasta dish)

Pesto Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

• Toss some of your favorite pasta with pesto.
• Add some fresh slices or cubes of tomatoes into the bowl; sprinkle olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, a dash of Grecian oregano, some freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves on top.

This is surely a taste of summer.


And while there never seems to be enough room on the printed page for all the wonderful recipes I encounter as a food editor, here is one more from Karen Fernau, who works for our sister paper, the Arizona Republic, along with some tips on pasta shapes. Skip the pasta and use grilled eggplant instead.

(Eggplant rollups can be served over rice or with a side of pasta/Gannett News Service photo)

Grilled Eggplant Involtini il Forno

1. 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2. 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil (divided use)
3. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
5. 1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil (divided use)
6. 1 12-ounce can crushed tomatoes
7. sea salt, to taste
8. freshly ground black pepper, to taste
9. 2 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1⁄2-inch thick
10. 8 ounces shredded smoked scamorza (an Italian cow’s milk cheese similar to mozzarella) or smoked mozzarella
11. 1⁄4 cup chopped Italian parsley

• In a saucepan, sweat the garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat for a few minutes. Do not let it brown. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano and half of the basil. Cook and stir for 1 minute, then add crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
• Heat a grill to high. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill slices 3 minutes on one side, flip and cook 3 minutes more. Remove slices from grill and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Let cool to room temperature.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon about 1 ounce of cheese on one end of each eggplant slice and roll up. Let rest on seam. Brush the bottom of a baking dish with remaining olive oil. Place eggplant rolls (involtini) in dish. Ladle tomato sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining basil and any remaining cheese.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
• Serves 6 to 8.

Source: Brian Archibald, chef at Ristorante Tuscany, Phoenix.

Pasta shape matters

Certain pasta shapes pair better than others with summer’s lighter, vegetable-inspired sauces. Here are a few that work well with sauces from the garden.

• Angel hair — In Italian, this fine spaghetti is called capelli d’angelo. It goes best with light, delicate sauces that showcase fresh herbs.
• Campanelle — This fancy-looking cone-shaped pasta with wavy edges traps and holds chunky vegetable sauces such as eggplant or squash.
• Cavatappi — A short, S-shaped tube that resembles a small corkscrew. Its slender, spiral shape makes it suitable for cherry tomato and corn sauces.
• Farfalle — Also called bowties or butterflies. They come in small, medium and large. Their large, flat surface works well with sauces containing diced vegetables.
• Fiori — In Italian, fiori means flowers. This pasta has rounded petals that provide extra surface area for chunky, tomato-based sauces. Has lots of kid appeal.