I’m a huge, HUGE, fan of pasta. A few days ago I was visiting friends who grow a wide array of vegetables (and fruit/berries) and had lunch with them. Having an abundance of those tiny yellow tomatoes my friend made a raw tomato sauce and let it marinate on the counter for a few hours while we hit some of my favorite stores in the area, one being Trader Joe’s, I love that place!

When we returned, some angel hair pasta was cooked to al dente and the sauce was then poured over it in a large bowl; my first bite in and I was sold on it! It tasted fresh, robust and garlick-y and the pasta being so thin was the perfect base to carry the light sauce.

I had to make it myself and soon! I was sent home with a nice sized bag of those golden gems so the next day that’s exactly what I made and despite not following a recipe but instead going by memory I think I nailed it. The awesome thing about cooking is that you can be a little independent and it most often works if you’re truly into cooking.

Here’s what I did:

Raw Tomato Sauce

2-4 cups small cherry tomatoes cut in half lengthwise – I added a few of my own red ones too

a handful of fresh basil – rolled and sliced thin

fresh chopped garlic – I used 3 whole heads of my own grown garlic – they were small – use what you feel comfortable with

a dash of red pepper flakes

olive oil – roughly 1/2 cup, but it will vary depending on how many tomatoes you use – a good drizzle anyhow

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and let sit on counter for 3-4 hours. When ready to eat, cook pasta to al dente so the pasta will be able to absorb the oil and juices made by the tomatoes. Add drained pasta to a large serving bowl and pour tomatoes over it and gently mix well. Serve with a few scrapes of freshly grated parmesan cheese.