1) Wash the tomatoes, core them, and cut into one-inch chunks. If using cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths. Set aside in a large bowl.
2) Chop the garlic as finely as possible. Adding salt to the garlic while you chop will make it a bit easier. Then scatter the chopped garlic over the tomatoes.
3) Gather together the basil leaves and chop into a long strips. I personally like these strips to be somewhat thick, about ¼ inch to ½ an inch wide, so that when they wilt, they do not end up looking like green slime. Add the basil strips to the tomatoes.
4) Add the chili powder or peperoncino flakes to the tomatoes. Chili powder, which I brought with me from New York, is a fine powder of ground Kashmiri chili. I like food to be flavorful, and think this powder has more kick than peperoncino flakes.
5) Scatter salt all over the tomatoes, as per your taste.
6) Pour in the oil. It’s important to use a flavorful olive oil since its taste can only enhance this raw sauce. Then stir lightly to make sure the tomatoes are coated with the marinade. Be careful not to stir too much, distorting the shape of the tomatoes.
7) Cover the bowl and set to marinate in the fridge for one to two hours. The salt will draw out the water from the tomatoes, and these juices will absorb the flavor of the garlic and the basil.
8) When ready to serve, chop the mozzarella into one-inch chunks and fold into the tomato mixture. In the meantime, boil the penne until al dante, as per the time given on the box. Then add the freshly cooked and drained pasta to the marinated sauce.
This recipe has been adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s cookbook, “Lidia’s Family Table."
Such pretty pictures!
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ReplyDeleteThese Penne truly were delicious!
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