September is such a special month, but it’s a confusing one too. The calendar marks it as the start of the Fall season, yet it doesn’t quite seem to feel like the end of Summer.
There’s the obvious rush of back to school season, the shorter evenings, the familiar crispness to the morning air, not to mention that the magazine racks practically shout at you to roast some squash or root and pull out the stock pot. Those recipes will come soon and stick around probably until June, May if we’re lucky, but I still can’t break away from wanting one last road trip or dip in the ocean and taste of fresh tomatoes.
My garden crop of tomatoes just doesn’t want to seem to stop at the end of August, so no matter how loudly every magazine and blog shouts out the latest butternut squash soup recipe, I’m still knee deep in tomatoes. If anything, come September they’re just getting their stride. You may even still have a few green ones left on the counter that you’re trying to coax a blush of red. This recipe is for you when that late September day comes.
I’ve never made a raw tomato sauce before I couldn’t resist. I loved the hot spaghetti noodles with the raw tomato sauce. Perfectly in step with how I see September; a clash of the ripeness of Summer with the warm comforts we look forward to come Fall.
I’ve been a fan of the blog who routinely take photos of what they’re eating in their studio for lunch that day. The book is an extension from the blog, but the very heart of how they cook is still what it’s all about; a cookbook for home cooks, using seasonal ingredients that are stocked at most markets. There are a handful of other recipes I can’t wait to try out like the escarol, fontina & black olive pizza, almond cookies, and marinated raw eggplant (although that one may have to wait until next year). I would absolutely love to sit down for dinner with these two some day. This video just shows how much passion they have for cooking and eating and excites me to do the same. And of course these ladies grow gardens as well, which kinda double excites me.
And for those of you that have fully moved on from Summer, don’t worry, I’m sure to have apple and squash recipes coming soon!
I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and only made enough pasta for 2 servings. The leftover sauce holds up well in the fridge for a couple days and goes great with sautéed kale and eggs too. Vegans just omit the cheese.
for the tomato sauce
1 1/2 – 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, halved
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup passata di pomodoro, strained tomatoes, or tomato purée
4-6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
for the pasta
1 pound spaghetti
more extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
small handful tiny fresh basil leaves
For the raw tomato sauce, grate the cut sides of the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl, discarding the skin. Repeat until there are 2 cups of loose tomato pulp. Add the garlic, passata, and oil, and season with salt and pepper. This makes about 4 cups of sauce.
For the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain. Toss the pasta with the raw tomato sauce in a large bowl. Drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve with lots of parmigiano-reggiano and garnish with the basil.