Pasta with Fresh Roma Tomato Sauce

I wish I could say I liked tomatoes. Every summer I watch so many people revel in the flavor of sun-ripened tomatoes, juicy and plump and fresh. They look so good... nestled amongst fresh mozzarella and basil in a caprese salad, or the crown jewel atop a juicy grilled burger. But I just can't do it. Well, at least not raw. But I do love them cooked! I love them stewed and added to a warm winter soup, roasted with garlic and served over crusty bread, or cooked down and pureed into a lovely sauce...

...such as this one.

If you're like many people at this time of the summer, you've probably got a garden overflowing with tomatoes. Consider yourself lucky, as my humble little apartment does not afford me the pleasure of a garden.   But no matter. The point is, you should definitely make this sauce. It's a great way to use up some of those overabundant vegetables, and it's downright delicious. Imagine, Roma tomatoes, naturally sweet in their own right, simmered down until they are soft and succulent, together with summer sweet carrots, pungent onion, and earthy celery. Can you smell it? Now add a little white wine - go ahead, pour some for yourself too - and simmer away until the sauce is rendered luscious and sweet. Pour over your favorite pasta, sprinkle on a little Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil, and prepare to be amazed. All that flavor with no extra seasonings? Really? Really. It's really that simple. And that delicious.


Pasta with Fresh Roma Tomato Sauce
from Big Bowl of Love
yields 4-6 servings

Ingredients
16 Roma tomatoes, quartered
2 medium onions, one peeled and quartered and the other peeled and finely chopped
2 small carrots, cut into four pieces each
2 celery ribs, cut into four pieces each
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions, chopped small
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup white wine
3 teaspoons kosher salt
8 ounces of your favorite pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
5 to 6 basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. In a large sauce pot, combine the tomatoes, quartered onion, carrots, and celery and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, leaving the lid slightly open, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat.
2. Puree the vegetables in a blender until smooth.
3. Over another pot, pass the pureed sauce through a chinois or tomato strainer to remove the tomato skins and seeds. Do not use a strainer with tightly woven mesh - the holes are too small and the resulting puree will be too liquid. Set aside.
4. Heat a large sauce pan on medium heat until warm but not hot. Add the olive oil, finely chopped onions, scallions, and butter. Cook until the onions are translucent (5-8 minutes). Add the white wine and continue to cook, reducing by more than half. Add the pureed vegetables and salt and mix well. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 40 minutes.
5. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and pour into a large warmed serving bowl. Ladle 2 cups of sauce over the pasta and mix. Ladle 1 more cup over the pasta, or more if you like, and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and basil.