Fresh Tomatoes Best Choice For Homemade Pasta Sauce

I take full advantage of the abundance of locally grown tomatoes throughout August and into September, knowing that their wonderful, robust flavor will soon be a sweet memory.

During that glorious season, for lunch I eat a sliced tomato sandwich with mayonnaise and a large basil leaf, or I spread the tomato slices on a plate and eat them lightly sprinkled with coarse salt and a splash of extravirgin olive oil.

While canned tomatoes are a fine choice for pasta sauce throughout the rest of the year, during the all-tooshort tomato season, I make an uncooked basic sauce of diced fresh tomatoes. For dinner, I serve this basic sauce of raw tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil and garlic as a topping for slices of grilled or toasted Italian bread, spooned over a platter of sliced boiled potatoes, or, as in the following recipe, tossed with a bowl of steaming, just-cooked pasta.

As a simple way to feed my family at the end of a busy day, I vary the sauce by adding cucumber, red onion, fresh uncooked corn kernels and chopped basil. I never bother to peel and seed the tomatoes. It takes too much time, and I hate the thought of losing any of the precious juices, not to mention the fiber and nutrients.

Raw tomato sauce, also call salsa cruda, is a versatile recipe. Besides the suggestions above, I also use it as a topping for grilled fish steaks, poached chicken breasts, scrambled eggs or baked potatoes.

Farfalle with Salsa Cruda

4 large ripe tomatoes, cored, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cucumber, peeled and diced

1/2 to 1 cup raw corn kernels (from 1 or 2 ears), optional

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound farfalle (bow ties) or other pasta

Heat large pan of water to boiling. Meanwhile combine tomatoes, cucumber, corn kernels if using, red onion, basil, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in large serving bowl. Stir to blend.

Add salt and pasta to boiling water. Stir pasta and cook until al dente or firm to bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and add to bowl with chopped tomatoes. Stir to blend. Serve at once.

Yield: 4 servings.