Ingredients
- 2 lb. ripe tomatoes (about 3 large or 4 medium), cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely or basil (or both)
- 1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp. minced garlic (1 medium clove)
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Combine all of the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl large enough to hold the tomatoes and the cooked pasta; mix well. Let the sauce sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
Toss the sauce with just-cooked pasta. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Variations
While salsa cruda is delicious on its own, you can choose one of these tasty additions for a little variety:
Cheese: Stir the cheese (see choices below) into the No-Cook Tomato Sauce after it has sat at room temperature and just before adding the pasta. In addition to the 1 cup Parmigiano, choose 1/4 to 1/2 lb. of another cheese, depending on how strong or sharp it is.
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 to 1/2 lb. of one cheese:
Feta, crumbled
Asiago, grated
Maytag blue, chopped
Gorgonzola, chopped
Fresh mozzarella, diced
Fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Tapenade: Yields about 3/4 cup. Mix half the tapenade into the No-Cook Tomato Sauce before it sits at room temperature. Garnish each serving of pasta with some of the remaining tapenade.
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/4 cup pitted oil-cured black olives
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (from 1 medium sprig)
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until very roughly chopped, about 13 pulses.
Basil Pesto: Yields about 1-1/4 cups. Stir the basil pesto into the No-Cook Tomato Sauce after it has sat at room temperature and just before adding the pasta.
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil (preferably Italian Genovese)
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
Put the basil, garlic, salt, and 2 or 3 grinds of pepper in a food processor and process until the basil and garlic are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil down the feed tube in a slow, steady stream. Turn off the processor and add the Parmigiano. Process until the cheese is incorporated, about 20 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add the nuts and pulse until they’re coarsely chopped.