WHAT A TOMATO SAUCE!  

The Flavor Stays Fresh in this No-Cook Pasta Topper

By Nissa Simon

an anyone ever have enough fresh tomatoes? I mean the kind that you pick from your garden or buy from the kid down the road or find at the local farmers’ market. The ones that squirt juice when you bite into them and taste like warm days and breezy nights. These are the true tomatoes of summer. And we’re still blessed with another few weeks of their presence.

            Here’s a recipe that takes advantage of these beauties. It’s easy to make, light on your wallet and tastes wonderful. What more could you want?

No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce

          Nothing could be simpler than this no-cook summer sauce. Serve it over your favorite pasta and savor its fresh taste.

Ingredients & Preparation

Juicy fresh red tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Fresh basil

Fresh mozzarella

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For each person, figure on 1 large or 2 medium red tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, a sprinkle of Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, 3 or 4 basil leaves and a smallish chunk of fresh mozzarella.

            Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze out the extra juice and seeds, then chop. Chop the garlic into small dice.  Chop the parsley and basil leaves.  Mix the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley and basil leaves in a bowl.  Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and let sit for a couple of hours.     

            Put the pasta on to cook.  While it’s cooking, cut the mozzarella into small chunks and gently stir into the tomato mixture. Drain the pasta, put it in a serving bowl, cover with the tomato sauce and serve.

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An avid cook, Nissa Simon writes frequently on health-related topics for various magazines. She was the Health Editor for Reader’s Digest’s New Choices for more than 10 years and now writes the “Health = Wealth” column in MAKING BREAD.

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Two more fresh tomato recipes by Nissa Simon appear in the “Cheap ‘N’ Easy Eats” column of the September/October issue of MAKING BREAD. Click here to try a 16-day trial subscription to MAKING BREAD, and get access to all of the great money-saving recipes we’ve published in previous issues. Enjoy!