Pomodoro Salad Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl put oil and seasonings.
• Add tomatoes, either sliced or in small chunks.
• Use salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
• Let marinate at room temperature at least an hour, for a few hours in the refrigerator.
• Italian or French bread or crusty rolls are a must to accompany this salad.

Steps:

• Heat a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup of the oil and the garlic, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring often and mashing gently with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add the basil, tomatoes and their juices, the carrots and cheese rinds. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Remove the rinds, carrots and basil. At this point you can use an immersion blender to puree slightly or leave it as a chunky sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than the package directions. Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce in a large, straight-sided skillet set over medium heat. Using a spider, strain the pasta from the water and add it directly into the pan with sauce, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Before stirring, sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese. Toss the pasta, cheese and sauce together. Add the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the reserved pasta water and continue to cook until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente. Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

Steps:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Submerge each tomato for 10 seconds each and immediately run under cold water. The skin should easily peel off. Cut out the core, slice into thin wedges and place in a medium-size bowl. Add the salt and mix.
• Add the onion, parsley, garlic, basil, thyme or oregano, and olive oil. Stir until well combined. Chill until ready to serve, preferably at least 30 minutes. Serve in salad bowls with hunks of bread on the side.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt and a splash of oil to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan. Add the garlic to the oil and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften but don't break up.
• While the tomatoes are cooking, add the capellini to the pot of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.
• Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, add the tomatoes and Parmesan and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. Serve large bowls of pasta with extra basil sprinkled on top and a big bowl of extra Parmesan on the side.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 8. Tip a layer of rock salt onto a baking tray and sit the potatoes on top. Roast for 50 mins-1 hr or until tender when a cutlery knife is inserted. Leave to cool for 10 mins, then peel off the still warm skins. Pass the potatoes through a ricer or push through a sieve using a spoon onto a work surface, then leave to cool. Add the flour, egg and ½ tsp salt to the potato and gently bring everything together using your hands until you have a uniform dough - don't overwork it. Divide the dough into four. Roll each piece into a long sausage on a lightly floured surface to around 2cm in diameter. Cut each one into 1.5-2cm nuggets. You can keep them like this or roll ridges onto to them with the back of a fork or a ridged pasta paddle. Set aside on a baking sheet dusted with semolina.
• For the sauce, blitz the canned tomatoes using a jug blender or hand blender. Heat the oil in a large pan over a low-medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for 10-15 mins until softened and translucent. Tip in the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 min, then add the sugar, blitzed tomatoes and herbs, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 mins, stirring regularly. Season to taste.
• Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the gnocchi in two batches and cook for 2-3 mins or until they bob to the surface. Drain the gnocchi in a colander, then toss in the pan with the tomato sauce. Spoon onto a large sharing plate, then top with the basil, grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. You can open-freeze the gnocchi on trays, then store in sandwich bags for up to three months, which can then be cooked for 3-5 mins from frozen.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a non-stick casserole dish or saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and basil stalks and fry for 1 min. Tip in the chopped tomatoes, a canful of water and the sugar and season to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 mins.
• Stir the bread through the soup to create a thick, stew-like consistency, then stir in most of the basil leaves. Ladle into bowls, finish with parmesan and some extra basil.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.
• Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.