By now, your home-grown tomatoes and courgettes will be starting to swell, offering the promise of ripe fruits just weeks from today. Both feature heavily in Italian cooking, making the perfect bases for pasta sauces, be that salsa di pomodoro or a carbonara.
Family Traditions in the Kitchen
Food writer Isabella Barbato relies on time-honoured traditions that make her favourite pasta dish sing. In her new book, Pasta Therapy, Isabella shares her love of cooking and the family traditions that she still employs today. 'Both my parents worked and usually got home just after me and my sister. That’s why we learned to cook so young: we’d start lunch, so it was ready for everyone,' she said.
You won't need a chaotic spice rack or a parade of complex ingredients to turn your greenhouse (or weekly supermarket shop) bounty into the ultimate pasta sauces. Instead, using simple ingredients, you can make your pasta dishes soar. Here, Isabella shared two simple family recipes.
Giovanna’s Tomato Sauce (Salsa di Pomodoro)
Serves: 10-12. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 2 hours 50 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 3kg ripe tomatoes – use the best quality, local, ripe, in-season tomatoes; Roma, San Marzano or beefsteak varieties work well
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Method:
- Prepare the tomatoes: Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to a large pot. Using your fist or palm, press down on the tomatoes in the pot to release their juices. This step allows the tomatoes to break down and cook without the need to add any water.
- Start the sauce: Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves and a good pinch of sea salt. Cover the pot with a lid and place it over a medium-low heat. Do not add any additional ingredients at this stage; just bring the sauce to a simmer gently. Remove the lid occasionally to stir, ensuring nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Simmer and reduce: After about 30 minutes of simmering, the tomatoes will have started to release their liquid. Continue simmering gently for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce will gradually reduce by half, and you’ll see it thicken as the flavours concentrate.
- Add the basil and olive oil: Once the sauce has reduced, add the olive oil and basil leaves. Stir well and let it cook for an additional 20 minutes, allowing the basil to infuse its aroma into the sauce.
- Blend and finish the sauce: While the sauce is still hot, run it through a vegetable mill in batches or use a hand-held immersion blender to grind the skins and seeds, creating a smooth consistency. Transfer the sauce to a clean pot or bowl as you work through the batches.
- Store the sauce: If using immediately, serve with your favourite pasta. To store, transfer the sauce to sterilised jars and refrigerate for up to a week. For longer storage, vacuum-seal the jars to keep them at room temperature for several months.
Sauce for Courgette Carbonara
Serves: 4. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 courgettes, thinly sliced into rounds
- 4 large eggs
- 50g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, plus extra to serve
Method:
- Prepare the courgette: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the courgette slices and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and soft. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Beat the eggs: In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the grated Parmigiano. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Combine and serve: Using tongs, lift your pasta directly into the pan with the courgette. Toss gently to coat, adding a splash of cooking water if needed to help loosen. Pour in the egg mixture, stirring quickly to create a silky sauce from the heat of the pasta. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to help the sauce cling evenly. Serve immediately with extra Parmigiano and black pepper.
