Go fresh with basil, tomato
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Tomato Confit Spaghettini
Ricardo Tested Ricardo
3/4 lb (375 g) spaghettini
1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil Red pepper flakes, to taste 2 red onions, thinly sliced
8 oz (225 g) white button mushrooms, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tomato confit recipe, cut into small pieces (see recipe below)
1/4 cup (60 mL) white wine
1/4 cup (60 mL) chicken broth
1/2 cup (23 g) fresh basil, finely chopped Parmesan cheese shavings, to taste (see note)
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and oil lightly. Set aside.
In a large skillet or in the same pot, heat the oil with the red pepper flakes. Add the onions and cook until slightly tender. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices.
Add the tomatoes and wine. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth and cooked pasta. Stir well to heat throughout. Adjust the seasoning. Just before serving, add the basil. Garnish with parmesan shavings and serve. Note: parmesan shavings are easy to make yourself, especially if you follow this one simple rule: the cheese should be at room temperature, not cold. With experience, you’ll recognize the right moment to gently shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler.
Makes 4 servings.
Tomato confit
Ricardo Tested
12 plum tomatoes
Olive oil, to taste
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200 F.
Wash the plum tomatoes and cut them in half. Core and remove the seeds. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and the dried herbs.
Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet cut sides up. Bake for about 2 hours 30 minutes, or a little more for field tomatoes. Remove the skin, if desired. Serve with antipasti, in pasta and on pizza. Note: Take advantage of the abundance of your garden to double or even triple this recipe. Freeze the tomatoes in small amounts in freezer bags. We tend to forget the beautiful simplicity of tomatoes. In season, simply chop tomatoes and add them to hot pasta with a drizzle of good olive oil, basil and pieces of bocconcini. Because it is not cooked, we call this a raw sauce.