Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce
Summer tomato sauce relies on minimal heat and high-quality fruit, turning vine-ripened tomatoes into a bright, loose sauce in under twenty minutes. You stop cooking as soon as the skins begin to split and the juices release, keeping the fresh acidity of the garden intact.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Total time
- 20 min
- Hands-on
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 lb ripe heirloom or vine tomatoes, roughly chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt
Step by step
Bloom the aromatics
Place the olive oil and sliced garlic in a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook until the garlic edges turn pale gold, about two minutes.
Add the harvest
Add all the chopped tomatoes and the salt to the pan. Increase heat to medium.
Cook briefly
Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes have slumped and released their liquid, about 8 to 10 minutes. The sauce should be loose and glossy, not a paste.
Finish
Remove the pan from the stove. Toss in the torn basil leaves and give it one final stir to incorporate. Serve immediately over warm pasta.
Questions people ask
Should I peel the tomatoes?
No. The skins provide structure to this light sauce and contain much of the flavor.
Can I store this for later?
This sauce is designed to be eaten within an hour of cooking. Its brightness fades if kept in the refrigerator.
Tips
- Keep the chunks irregular; smaller pieces melt into the sauce while larger ones provide texture.
- If your tomatoes are especially watery, use a slotted spoon to drain some of the juice before adding them to the pan.
- Use a wide pan rather than a deep pot to ensure more surface area for evaporation.
Variations
- Spicy Calabrian: Add a teaspoon of crushed chili paste to the oil alongside the garlic.
- Anchovy Base: Dissolve two oil-packed anchovy fillets into the olive oil before adding the garlic for a deeper, salty backbone.