- 1
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds very ripe and juicy summer tomatoes
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil—the best you have!
- 4 plump whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 6 large fresh basil leaves
- A pinch of dried peperoncino, optional
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Have a couple of mixing bowls handy and place a sturdy wire sieve (with small but not tiny holes) in one of them. Rinse the tomatoes if necessary, cut out the cores and any other hard parts.
Core and trim the tomatoes but don’t peel them. Cut them into quarters, or smaller pieces, and drop into the sieve. Press and rub the tomatoes—skins, seeds and all—until the scrapings are as dry as you can get them.
With a wire whisk, blend the puréed pulp and juice, adding the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Now drizzle in your best olive oil, a tablespoon at a time, whisking steadily, as the oil emulsifies. Taste and add more salt if you like.
Smash the peeled garlic cloves under the big blade of a chef’s knife; drop them into the emulsion. Crumple up each basil leaf in your fingers to release the oils and drop them in as well. If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of peperoncino.
Cover the bowl, give the garlic and basil 2 to 3 hours to infuse the tomato, at room temperature, then scoop out the cloves and leaves and discard. Whisk up the “elixir”—add salt or drops of lemon juice to taste—and enjoy.
Serve at room temperature as a vegetable sauce, then keep it in the refrigerator.