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Looking for a really quick, really tasty recipe to use up all the wonderful summer tomatoes and basil? Here’s another one of my favorite summertime, no-cook recipes. This Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce is so easy to make and so full of fresh flavor!
Now, I know I said this sauce is a no-cook sauce which is great for hot summer days. But personally I like to put it all in a saucepan and simmer it a bit to heat it up before putting it on top of pasta. Barely cooked is exactly how I like it! Just toss the diced up tomatoes (the size of dice is up to you), basil, garlic and olive oil in a sauce pan and let it simmer briefly. No worries if you don’t want to heat it up and dirty another pan, it’s fine either way, I just like mine hot! If you prefer a sauce that’s not too wet, then be sure to seed the tomatoes first. If you don’t get rid of the seedy pulp the sauce will be a bit more watery. I happen to like it that way so I can slurp up the sauce from the bowl when I’m done (or dip some bread in it). Yes, I do that!!! This is just one flavor combination I cannot resist! Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce also makes a fantastic topping for bruschetta. But for sure I’d drain it a bit before putting it on top of crusty bread.
Fresh Tomato Basil Sauce is not only perfect to top your favorite pasta but equally fantastic with zucchini noodles “zoodles” for a lower carb option. YUMMY! It doesn’t get much better than this. And super simple too!
PrintFresh Tomato Basil Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 bunch basil, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 C. olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh shaved parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese, if plant-based)
To Serve:
1 lb. spaghetti or linguini, cooked according to pkg. directions)
or
1-2 zucchini, spiralized or cut in long strands
Instructions
- Dice tomatoes and put in bowl. Add the basil, garlic, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. If you prefer, you may put ingredients in a saucepan and gently heat for a few minutes just to warm, not necessarily to cook.
- If using zucchini instead of pasta, spiralize with a Spiralizer or slice zucchini in strands like pasta (a mandoline makes this work easy). Saute in skillet with a little bit of olive oil just to soften the zucchini, about one minute.
- Put zucchini “noodles” in large serving bowl and top with sauce. Shave or grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.
- If using pasta, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse. Put pasta in large serving bowl. Add tomato mixture and toss a little to combine. Shave or grate fresh parmesan cheese on top.