Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Raw Tomato Sauce
This simple pasta recipe makes a healthy meal from the lusty flavor of fresh, raw, ripe summer tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ripe garden tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic optional
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic chives use regular chives if the garlic variety is unavailable
- 1 tsp fresh tarragon
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp coarse salt
- pinch black pepper
- ½ tsp granulated sugar optional
- ½ lb whole wheat spaghetti*
- 1 tsp olive oil
- approx. 4 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and divide out one-third. Take that third and pulse it in a food processor or heavy duty blender, (I use a Vitamix), until it’s frothy soup. If you like your pasta sauce particularly garlicky, you can add the clove of garlic here and pulse until fully pureed.
- Core the other two thirds of the tomatoes and chop into ½ inch pieces.
- Toss the chopped tomatoes into a mixing bowl with the pureed tomatoes, basil, garlic chives, tarragon, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. If your tomatoes aren’t peak-of-the-season sweet and juicy, you may want to add the sugar. But ripe, in-season tomatoes should be sweet enough on their own.
- Gently toss the mixture to fully incorporate and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. The tomato sauce can be prepared in advance and rest at room temperature until serving time.
- Make the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking to al dente.
- Drain the cooked pasta and toss with the olive oil then top with the raw tomato sauce.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a sprinkle of parmesan. (I recommend a tablespoon per serving but adjust to suit your preferences.)
Notes
*This recipe works with any type of spaghetti. I use whole wheat for the boost of vitamin E as well as the deep, nutty, woodsy flavor it adds to the dish. But you should feel free to substitute with brown rice pasta, spelt pasta or the white kind.
Note: The pasta is perfect for a picnic but I recommend traveling with the pasta and the sauce in separate containers.Transport the pasta at room temperature and top with the sauce and cheese when serving.