Embarrassingly enough, there was a time in my life when I thought I hated fresh tomatoes. Wild, I know. It turns out, I’d just never had a good, ripe, in-season tomato. That being said, this pasta is designed to be made in the summertime when tomatoes are at their peak deliciousness. Basic tomatoes just won’t do this justice! Grating the tomatoes is a really easy way to break them down into a pulpy sauce with minimal skin.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
3½ pounds (1.5 kilograms) beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes
¼ cup (60 milliliters) olive oil, plus more for serving
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 oil-packed anchovy fillets
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 pound (454 grams) dry linguine
½ cup (55 grams) finely grated pecorino Romano
1 cup (15 grams) torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
4 ounces (113 grams) burrata, at room temperature, optional
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Grate the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl, discarding the skin when you get down to the end.
Place the olive oil, garlic, and anchovies in a large pot. Set over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the anchovies melt into the oil and the garlic is slightly golden, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes, and season with a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes cook down and the sauce thickens, 45 to 55 minutes. Season with a small pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
When the tomato sauce is close to being finished, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously season with salt. Drop in the linguine, and cook according to the package directions until it’s about 1 minute under al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 mugful of pasta water. Add the pasta to the pot with the tomato sauce, toss to coat, and reduce the heat to low.
Add the pecorino Romano, and toss again. Add a small splash of pasta water if needed to create a nice cohesive sauce that coats the pasta evenly. (This pasta dish may not need any pasta water, depending on the water content of your tomatoes.) Drizzle in a bit more olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Turn on the heat, and toss in the basil to wilt slightly. Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top with more fresh basil, torn burrata, if using, a drizzle of olive oil, and pepper, and serve.
From By Heart by Hailee Catalano. Reprinted by permission of DK Publishing, a division of Penguin Random House.
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