For this simple sauce, use the most flavorful vine-ripened tomatoes you can find. Pass additional garlic oil at the table so diners can drizzle some over their pasta, if desired.
Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients
- 10 to 12 ripe tomatoes, about 4 pounds total, cored
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons Olivier Toasted Garlic Oil
- 1 pound rigatoni or other pasta, cooked and drained
Preparation
- 1 Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Have a large bowl of ice water ready.
- 2 Using a paring knife, make a shallow crisscross in the bottom of each tomato. Slip the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook until the skins split, 15 to 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to the ice water. When the tomatoes are cool, remove the skins.
- 3 Quarter the tomatoes and squeeze the seeds and juice into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl. Press on the seeds to extract as much juice as possible. Chop the tomatoes and place in a pot along with the juice. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- 4 Season with salt and pepper, stir in the basil and garlic oil, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more.
