Summer pasta
Recipe by Valentina Harris
SERVES 4
Preparation 15 minutes plus at least 2 hours standing
Cooking 10 minutes
2 cloves garlic, crushed to a purée
½ tsp sea salt
freshly milled black pepper
7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 heaped tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
750g fresh, ripe, sweet, juicy tomatoes, washed
a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
400g spaghetti or tagliarini
Mix the garlic, salt and pepper together, and then stir into the olive oil. Add the parsley and leave to stand.
Prepare the tomatoes. Slice a shallow cross into the top of each tomato and carefully remove the core. Dip each one into a bowl of boiling water for 1 minute, transfer into a bowl of iced water and then remove the skins. Cut them in half and remove all the seeds, using a teaspoon. Chop the flesh into small cubes and stir into the garlic and olive-oil mixture. Add the basil leaves and stir very thoroughly. Leave the sauce to stand, covered, until you want to dress the pasta.
When you want to eat, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and throw in the pasta. Stir, cover and return to the boil. Boil until tender, then drain and return to the pot. Pour over the sauce and mix together. Transfer to a pretty serving dish and serve at room temperature, but never chilled..
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