Best Uses for the Tomato Harvest -- Gourmet Tomato Sauce for Rigatoni

by Barbara Barker
(Live Oak, FL)

Mmmm! I love fresh tomatoes. My husband and I walked back from the garden yesterday evening with a 3 gallon bucket full. No one in my family complains about the many tomato recipes I cook this time of year. They seem to especially like rigatoni with fresh tomatoes and basil.
This dish requires peeled, but not seeded, tomatoes. I learned to skin tomatoes from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. It is actually pretty simple.
Step One: Fill a pot of water deep enough to cover tomatoes and bring it to a boil.
Step Two: Gently drop in tomatoes.
Step Three: Leave tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute.
Step Four: Carefully Remove tomatoes from water with slotted spoon.
Step Five: Let cool for a few minutes. The inside of the tomatoes will be VERY hot.

Step Six: Cut a small 'V' in the top of the tomato with a sharp paring knife.
Step Seven: Grasp the 'V' and gently pull it down the side of the tomato. The peel will slide right off.

The recipe I use for fresh tomato sauce is really simple. The just- harvested tomatoes are the highlight of the dish. For a family of four -- 3 big guys and me -- I peel and chop 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes. No matter how many I prepare, it's never enough. Add these to a skillet with 4 TB of real butter, two cloves of crushed garlic, and an onion cut in half. (When I'm feeling health conscious, I cut the butter in half and add 2 TB. olive oil.) Simmer 45 minutes. Add 1/2 cup torn Basil in the last 5 minutes. Discard the onion. Season with a little salt and black pepper if desired. Add in cooked rigatoni and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.
Recipe adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.


For information on growing tomatoes in containers, see my book-- Container Gardening for Health:The 12 Most Important Fruits & Vegetables for Your Organic Garden.


The book is available from Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk via the following links....