Angel Hair Pasta With Fresh Tomato, Basil, And Garlic

Recipe Ingredients

		Tomato Base
2 tablespoons	30ml	Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon	15ml	Chopped garlic
2 teaspoons	10ml	Chopped shallots
4 cups	250g / 8.8oz	Tomato concasse - see * hints = (made with 2 lbs whole tomatoes)
1 tablespoon	15ml	Sugar or honey - (optional)
1 teaspoon	5ml	Kosher salt
2 teaspoons	10ml	Tomato paste
1 teaspoon	5ml	Chopped fresh thyme leaves
		Sauce
1/4 cup	59ml	Extra-virgin olive oil
5 oz	142g	Double-Blanched Garlic - (see recipe), sliced
2 cups	125g / 4.4oz	Tomato concasse = (made with 1 lb whole tomatoes)
2 cups	125g / 4.4oz	Tomato Base
1/4 cup	10g / 0.4oz	Chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Kosher salt
		Pasta
12 oz	340g	Fresh or store-bought angel hair pasta
1/4 cup	10g / 0.4oz	Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1		Fresh basil leaf - for garnish
		Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe Instructions

Make a Tomato Base: In a 12-inch skillet, over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic and shallots just until they start to color. Add the 4 cups of tomato concasse, sugar, if necessary, and salt and cook over medium heat until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and chopped thyme and set aside. (Tomato Base can be made in large quantities and frozen up for to 3 months to be used to improve sauces made with tomatoes. This recipe makes about 2 cups.)

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil.

Make the Sauce: In a clean 12-inch skillet or saute pan over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic, stirring often, until it is lightly golden in color, about 2 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 2 cups of tomato concasse, the reserved 2 cups of Tomato Base, the 1/4 cup chopped basil, and the salt. Return the skillet to the heat and simmer over medium-high heat until some of the moisture from the tomatoes evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes.

When ready to serve, add pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook until it is al dente, about 1 minute for fresh pasta (cook packaged pasta according to the directions on the box). Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce with the chopped fresh parsley. Gently stir to heat through and coat the pasta with sauce.

To serve, divide the pasta and sauce evenly, twirl with kitchen tongs or a fork and place on 4 large, warm plates or bowls. Garnish with basil sprigs and grated Parmesan cheese.

Hints

Tomato concasse is nothing more than peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes. To peel, remove the core of the tomato, score the bottom with an X, and carefully slide into a pan of simmering water to cover. When the skin just begins to peel away (which could take as little as 10 seconds, depending upon the ripeness of the tomato), remove the tomato with a slotted spoon and immediately refresh it in iced water. Peel away the outer skin, cut the tomato in half across the middle, and squeeze each half to remove the seeds. Then, coarsely chop the tomato with a heavy knife.

Source:
"Wolfgang Puck at http://www.cooking.com/wolfgang/"

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