Make This No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce Tonight

Got tomatoes? Have I got a recipe for you. This no cook, fresh tomato sauce for pasta is bursting with summer flavor. Spiked with fresh garlic and basil, the only other ingredients are a glug of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. How easy is that? You’re just a few minutes away from an easy weeknight dinner that screams summer!

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This recipe for No Cook Tomato Sauce for pasta and the post that goes with it was made in partnership with California Grown! We received compensation in exchange for it. Opinions are always our own. Thanks for your continued support!

Use the Freshest Tomatoes You Can Find

It was from my grandmother that I learned that homegrown tomatoes are mind-blowingly delicious. Every summer she grew the most amazing tomatoes. I remember her tending her plants in her large backyard in Fresno, and later in her small patio yard behind her mobile home in Oakdale, in the same town where I grew up. Grandma enjoyed them simply, sprinkled with salt and spread with mayo. So do I.

I grow my own tomatoes too, but my yard is small so I only have a few pots each year. I source my other tomatoes from the farmers’ market, and each week I’m always impressed by both the huge varieties of heirloom tomatoes, as well as their different flavor profiles! I’ll be completely honest in that I am 100% biased towards tomatoes that are California Grown.

California farmers work all year to bring produce, including tomatoes, to the U.S. and the world. Did you know that over 90% of California farms are family owned? Every time I go shopping, I make sure to look for and buy California grown produce as much as I can to support my friends, neighbors and community members who work in the ag industry! With two planting seasons, Southern California is one of the few locations where tomatoes can be grown nearly all year long. Lucky us!

How to Make No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce for Pasta

You might be wondering if you can eat tomato sauce without cooking it. This pasta sauce, also known as salsa cruda, is so simple to make and requires no cooking at all. It’s absolutely perfect for hot days when you don’t want to stand over a simmering pot forever, and also perfect for easy weeknight dinners. But because this sauce is raw, not cooked, it’s essential that you use the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find. Homegrown tomatoes are best, but if you don’t grow them yourself, look for them at your farmers’ market. I prefer to use a mixture of large and cherry tomatoes in a variety of beautiful colors.

Here’s what you’ll need to make No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce:

• 2 pounds of fresh, ripe summer tomatoes, roughly chopped (no blender required) – use all the same, or use a variety, it’s up to you!
• 1/4 cup of good quality, extra virgin olive oil
• 10 basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
• Juice from half a lemon, about 1 tablespoon
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if needed. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the flavors can meld together. Toss with your favorite fresh pasta and serve, topped with additional basil leaves for garnish and some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Fresh tomato season is here so what are you waiting for? Make this No Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce tonight – it’ll be on repeat at our house all summer long! You can find this and some of my other delicious recipes on the post Sweet Corn Fritters with Tomato Jam: Alison from A Girl Defloured on the California Grown blog!

Love tomatoes? Here are a few more delicious dishes to try!

• Heirloom Tomato and Stone Fruit Salad
• Quinoa Tabbouleh
• Gluten-Free Tomato Slab Pie

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