No-Cook, No Kidding!

This is a great way to use up those ripe, ripe tomatoes, you know, the one's that can't stand up to the structure of a sandwich! This is my hands down favorite, easy, delicious and good-for-you pasta sauce. It tastes so good, it should not be this easy, but I promise it is!! All the fresh flavors shine through in this sauce.
Make it early in the day and let it sit at room temp in a non-reactive bowl (covered) large enough hold the pasta you will add later.  Again, adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine.

Salsa Cruda (No-Cook Tomato Sauce)
Serves 4

3 Large or 4 medium ripe tomatoes cut these into a 1/2 dice. Heirloom are my favorite
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil (the flavor shines through)
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh thyme
2 med. cloves garlic ~ minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb dried pasta (imported Italian pasta if possible) ridged types like
penne rigate or rigatoni

Heirloom tomatoes are sweet, juicy and flavorful. Perfect for this sauce

Dicing the tomatoes with my serrated bread knife makes the job super easy!

Fresh basil, thyme, garlic

Into the  non-reactive bowl it goes! Now let it sit while you go do something fun. (sorry for the dark photo)

Toss just-cooked pasta (drain it first!) in with the sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper.

I dressed it with a smidgen of Parmigiano-Reggiano and served market fresh buttered green beans along side. So easy!!

Enjoy!!