Equipment
Ingredients
Raw Tomato Sauce
- 500 g cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic, peeled and gently smashed whole
- 15 g fresh basil, hand-torn
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Pasta
- 500 g fresh egg fettuccine
- 4000 ml water
- 40 g kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 639 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 95 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 518 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 594 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 6.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 17 mg
- Phosphorus
- 35 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 23 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 18 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 25 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 4 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Add the extra virgin olive oil, smashed garlic clove, torn basil, 5g kosher salt, and black pepper to the tomatoes. Stir well and leave at room temperature (around 22°C/72°F) for 30 minutes to marinate and extract the natural tomato juices.
Fill a large pot with the water and bring to a rapid boil at 100°C/212°F. Stir in the 40g of kosher salt.
Drop the fresh fettuccine into the boiling water. Stir gently to separate the strands and cook until tender but firm to the bite, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain the pasta quickly using a colander, allowing a tiny bit of water to remain clinging to the noodles. Immediately transfer the hot pasta into the bowl containing the marinated tomatoes. Toss thoroughly for 1 minute until the residual heat and starches emulsify with the olive oil and tomato juices.
Remove and discard the whole garlic clove. Divide the pasta evenly among four warm plates, making sure to spoon over any juices left at the bottom of the mixing bowl.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of this dish relies entirely on your produce. Use the ripest, sweetest tomatoes you can find, preferably at peak summer season.
- Tearing fresh basil rather than chopping it with a knife prevents the edges from bruising and turning black, preserving its bright essential oils.
- Do not rinse your pasta. The natural starches on the exterior are absolutely crucial for helping the raw tomato juices and olive oil cling to the fettuccine noodles.
- Leaving the garlic clove whole and merely smashed allows it to gently perfume the oil without leaving aggressive, spicy bites of raw garlic in the finished dish.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store the sauce and pasta separately to prevent the noodles from becoming completely soggy.
Troubleshooting
The sauce is watery and pooling unappealingly at the bottom of the bowl.
Cause: The pasta was either too cold when added to the bowl, or it was not tossed vigorously enough to create an emulsion.
Fix: Toss the pasta and tomatoes vigorously for another 30 seconds to agitate the pasta starches and help bind the liquid.
Prevention: Ensure you transfer the pasta directly from the pot or colander to the mixing bowl while it is steaming hot, and toss continuously.
The raw garlic flavor is completely overpowering.
Cause: The garlic clove broke apart during mixing, or a very pungent clove was left in the marinade for far too long.
Fix: Cannot be easily fixed once mixed, but a squeeze of fresh lemon juice can help tame harsh allium flavors.
Prevention: Keep the garlic clove intact by only gently smashing it, and strictly observe the 30 minute marination time limit.
Cultural Context
Known widely in Italy as Pasta alla Checca, this traditional Roman preparation was designed to beat the sweltering summer heat without requiring the cook to stand over a simmering pot of sauce. It flawlessly highlights the Italian culinary philosophy of utilizing minimal, exceptionally high-quality ingredients to create a final dish vastly greater than the sum of its parts.
