Pasta with fresh tomatoes is a wonderfully easy, light summery meal where the only cooking is making the pasta. The raw tomato sauce is bright with basil, garlic and oil - so simple yet fresh, bright and delicious.
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Pasta is such a fantastically versatile base that works with such a wide range of sauces, from comforting meaty ragus to simple light pestos. It's also something that can work at many times of the year.
This simple sauce is particularly good for the heat of summer. If you're either harvesting your own tomatoes, or find some really good ones in the market/store, this is a great use for them. You get to enjoy all their great flavor in a tasty meal, with minimal effort (and minimal cooking/heating up the kitchen!)
Origins of spaghetti al pomodoro crudo
"Pomodoro" is Italian for tomato, and "crudo" means raw, so this dish is literally spaghetti with raw tomatoes. Though you can also use other types of pasta - here I use angel hair, but other shapes like shells would work, too (and hold the sauce pretty well).
While the specific origins are unclear, it's often considered to have evolved as a summer variation of pasta al pomodoro which is from Naples. This summery dish is something you'll find particularly in Southern Italy, with different areas having slightly different variations. The base is the same, but some will add things like red pepper flakes, olives, capers and/or mozzarella cheese.
Here I keep with the classic core ingredients - tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil along with some salt and pepper. It's simple and has plenty of bright, fresh flavor.
What type of tomatoes are best?
You can use a few different types of tomatoes for this - here I use heirloom tomatoes but cherry tomatoes are also good. The key is you want a variety with a good flavor that isn't too watery. Remember, you are eating them raw and with minimal additions, so you want a flavor that will come through.
If you have local fresh tomatoes in season, this is a great way to use them. But if you want to make this slightly out of season, then cherry tomatoes are probably a safer bet to have a good flavor. Do not use canned tomatoes for this - they just won't be the same. This is really just a dish for fresh tomatoes.
Steps to prepare this dish
This dish is wonderfully easy to make, and requires minimal preparation and even less cooking. But you do want to start a little ahead of time to give the sauce a bit of time to rest and the flavors mingle before using.
First step is to chop up the tomatoes. If you are using cherry tomatoes, you can simply quarter them, but for larger tomatoes, dice them relatively small. Some like to remove the skin, but I don't think it's particularly needed - cherry tomatoes have pretty thin skins, and I tend to find the same with heirloom. But if you have a tomato variety with thicker skin, you may want to remove some, if not all.
With larger tomatoes, remove any tough core as you dice. Also, remove some of the seeds so the sauce is not too watery. Then, place the chopped tomatoes in a bowl large enough so that you can add the pasta into it in due course.
Next, finely chop the garlic and roughly tear the basil. Add these to the tomatoes along with the olive oil, some salt and pepper. Go light on the salt at this point as it draws out the juices, but you can add a little more later if you need to adjust the seasoning. Then, mix it up and set aside to let the flavors mingle.
Then, cook the pasta, add the drained pasta into the bowl and toss to coat in the sauce. Serve it either just as it is or topped with some cheese (pecorino and parmesan both work well) and enjoy.
Pasta with fresh tomatoes, spaghetti con pomedoro crudo, is a fantastically simple dish that's perfect for summer. It's really easy to make, and has lovely bright, fresh flavors. Minimal cooking, but still one tasty meal.
Try these other easy pasta dishes:
- Squid ink pasta with shrimp and tomato
- Lemon mascarpone pasta
- Crab pasta
- Plus get more summer recipes and Italian recipes in the archives.
Pasta with fresh tomatoes (spaghetti al pomodoro crudo)
Ingredients
- 10 oz tomatoes eg heirloom, cherry
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 leaves basil approximately - or more to taste
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 6 oz spaghetti can also use angel hair, shells or other shapes
Instructions
- If using larger tomatoes, dice them relatively finely, removing the tough core and excess seeds and juice - some are fine, but you don't want the sauce too liquid. If the skin is tough, you can remove some or all, if you like, but it's generally not needed. If using cherry tomatoes, simply quarter the tomatoes.
- Place the tomatoes in a medium-large bowl (large enough to hold the cooked pasta as well). Finely chop the garlic and add to the tomatoes. Roughly tear the basil leaves in relatively small pieces into the tomato mixture then add the oil, half the salt and the pepper. Stir so everything is well combined and leave to sit for the flavors to mingle a little - around 20 minutes or a bit more is good.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions to al dente. Check the tomato mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed - add the remaining salt and if needed, add a little extra as well as some more pepper. When done, drain the pasta well and add it to the tomato mixture in the bowl. Toss gently so that you don't break the pasta then serve. If you like, top with a little pecorino or parmesan but you don't necessarily need it.
Notes
Nutrition
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