This is probably my favorite summer pasta — a recipe I’ve been making for over forty years. The sauce is prepared raw in advance and tossed with hot pasta just before serving. The contrast between the cool sauce and the warm spaghetti creates an especially bright, fresh flavor.

The sauce benefits from resting for several hours so the flavors can meld, making it convenient to prepare in the morning and let sit until dinner. Leftovers are prized in my household and are delicious served at room temperature as a pasta salad or gently warmed. Extra sauce is versatile: spoon it over eggs, spread it on toasted bread for a simple bruschetta, or use it as a fresh topping for grilled vegetables.

The only absolute requirement for this dish is very ripe, flavorful tomatoes. If your tomatoes are less sweet, you can adjust the balance by adding more onion or garlic, increasing the red pepper flakes for heat, or experimenting with different fresh herbs to suit your taste.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele

Summer Spaghetti

Yield:
Serves 4 – 6

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
12 minutes

Total Time:
27 minutes

When this room-temperature sauce meets hot pasta, the result is simply magical.

Ingredients

1 pound ripe tomatoes
1 medium onion
6 green or black pitted olives
2 medium garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 teaspoons drained capers
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound spaghetti
Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, for serving

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes coarsely. Finely chop the onion and olives.
Mince the garlic. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, olives, garlic, parsley, basil, capers, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
Drizzle the red wine vinegar over the mixture, then add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Cover and let the sauce sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours so the flavors develop. You can refrigerate it after it has rested if you prefer, but allow it to come closer to room temperature before tossing with pasta.
Just before serving, cook the spaghetti until al dente according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and immediately toss it with about half of the sauce so the hot noodles absorb the flavors.
Serve at once, adding an extra scoop of sauce on top of each portion.
Offer grated Parmesan or Pecorino at the table.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 480
Total Fat: 30g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 24g
Cholesterol: 8mg
Sodium: 254mg
Carbohydrates: 43g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 5g
Protein: 10g

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