「Spaghetti con pomodoro crudo 」

Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes is a cold pasta dish using only simple four ingredients and maximum flavor. Simplicity beats everything!

In recent days, our local supermarket was selling great ripe tomatoes, making it the best opportunity to experiment using these fresh ingredients. Bruschetta, salads and other cold dishes often came up to my mind when I was preparing dinner in these past warm days…

That’s why as soon as it was decided that we would have pasta on that day, I knew that it was the ideal moment to try this recipe.

I remember the spaghetti al pomodoro crudo from my favorite Italian restaurant in São Paulo called La Trattoria. They served pasta with fresh mozzarella cheese mixed in for extra texture and creaminess. Like all the dishes they have, it was a delicious and lovely choice, especially during summer.

This dish is basically cherry tomatoes marinated with salt, pepper and olive oil for a very short period of time. Very easy. Because of the simple nature of the recipe, invest your time in getting the best ingredients available: the best ripe tomatoes and high-quality olive oil.

1. 200g of spaghetti
2. 10g of ripe cherry tomatoes
3. 20g of basil
4. 4tbsp of olive oil
5. salt, pepper
6. 4 leaves of basil, chopped
7. Extra leaves of basil for garnish
8. Grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters.
2. Combine olive oil, salt, chopped garlic and part of the basil.
3. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
4. Put everything in a pot and leave it in a cool place for a 30 minutes.
5. Cook the pasta until al dente.
6. Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water to cool down and to remove the excess starch.
7. Combine the pasta with the olive oil and tomato mixture, then toss to combine.
8. Finally, garnish the pasta with basil leaves.
9. Serve the dish with grated cheese.

The amount of olive oil specified on this recipe is not an exact measure: it should be enough to coat the tomatoes evenly.

You may add some pieces of fresh mozzarella, for instance, or any other fresh white cheese of your preference.

The tomato mixture yields a particularly good bruschetta to be served before the main course.

You may leave the tomato mixture for some days to infuse for even longer periods: although the mixture will become less fresh, it will get a more accentuated flavor.