Alla Checca: Using Up Those Gorgeous Tomatoes

So....last summer I was really really industrious and I was all about preparing for the following year so I proposed saving your seeds. And then this spring, I really got a jump on things by planting those seeds so I could have a patio full of beautiful tomato plants. Ready to see the bounty of my hard work?

it's almost overwhelming, huh?

When you have finished laughing, we'll get on with the rest of the post, ok?  Actually, I kind of feel like that scene at the end of 28 Days with the guy who can't keep the plant alive or take proper care of the dog and is getting desperate....

*this was the best clip I could find *

My brain sounds something like this: I have 3 kids and a dog and run a household on many levels and can't seem to grow a decent tomato to save my life.  *cue crying like above*


Enter wonderful parents with mad skills for growing things and keeping children and dogs alive.  So then I had a box full of gorgeous home-grown tomatoes that looked like this:

hells yeah, Mom and Dad

To say that these beauties are utterly delicious is a major understatement. However, to say that we could use them up just making salsa and sandwiches before they turned was rather unlikely as well and I was NOT about to waste a single one.

Hence search engine to compensate for mommy brain....uncooked sauce? Sure!

This recipe is (1) soooo easy (2) time flexible and (3) really pretty--try it for company or a stay-in date for instance.

Basically, if you can cut things and boil pasta, you can make this.  Which pretty much covers how much brain power I have to devote to making dinner at this stage in the game anyways.

Stage 1:

Dice 5 tomatoes, removing the seeds

Chop 1/2 cup of fresh basil (one plant I did manage to grow properly this summer)

Stir together in a non-metal bowl along with 

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tbs minced garlic

pretty

yes, it sits on your counter
all day--no one will die,
I promise

Stir this all together and cover with plastic wrap. This is now going to sit, on your counter at room temperature for at least 2 hours and up to 10 hours. See? easy. 

Stage 2: 

Boil one pound of pasta-shape and size of your choice. Drain off water and pour the tomatoes over the hot pasta and toss--along with some parmesan cheese. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

pasta and sauce

pasta

pasta, sauce and cheese

Stage 3: 

Eat.  Possibly with a bit of crusty garlic bread. This will serve four generous portions by the way so if you are feeding more people, just  double as needed. 

See what I'm saying here? Easy. Simple. Good. 

And no mothers were stressed in the making of this dinner.