Easy Roasted Yellow Tomato and Basil Pasta

We've been thinking about buying a new house. Our existing home was big enough for us until our toddler became old enough to have more "stuff" than her parents combined. While out looking at potential homes last weekend, we came across a wonderful local produce market. They had cabbage, Indiana tomatoes, corn and some of the best pickles we've ever eaten. 


I am a very picky tomato eater. My father has raised the hands down best tomatoes you've ever had in your entire life. These tomatoes are so good you don't have to do anything to them, just slice and eat. A little salt if you insist, but on their own they taste like summer should. I guess then it's not surprising that I usually eat them by the dozen each day during the harvest. 


Meanwhile, while I'm getting my annual fill of fresh tomatoes, my  mom cans enough whole tomatoes in juice for the entire family, and some extended family members, to use throughout the winter. A jar of her tomatoes are like gold on your dinner table. I use them to make pasta sauce during the winter, as well as some delicious homemade tomato soup or creamed tomatoes over biscuits. 


Being a tomato connoisseur from way back, when I don't have the luxury of my father's harvest where I know each one will be tasty, I pick my tomatoes by the smell. You see, I've learned from trial and error that if it smells like a tomato, it'll taste like one. If it doesn't, don't waste your money or your taste buds. 


The tomatoes I found this time around happened to be one of the yellow varieties. My darling hubby brought home some yellow tomatoes from the farmer's market at work the week before and they were really tasty, so I thought that this was a good sign. Unfortunately, after I bought them, the week got away from me and here it is Thursday night and I had failed to plans for dinner. So, I decided to use my quickly ripening tomatoes to make an easy roasted tomato sauce that I developed last summer. I haven't made it since, but fortunately, you make it to personal preference so no recipe is needed and it takes no longer than to roast the tomatoes. 


You can roast the tomatoes in the oven or under the broiler, depending upon how much time you have to let them cook. This time around I used the broiler as our toddler was hungry and the clock was working against me. Other than salt and pepper, you only need 3 ingredients for this sauce:  really tasty tomatoes, good EVOO and fresh basil. In this case, you really do have to go with the fresh herbs as this sauce isn't cooked for the length of time necessary to extract the flavor from the dried version.


Give this approach a try the next time you have some worthy tomatoes on hand. You only need a fresh salad and some good bread to round out the menu and make it a summer meal to remember. Enjoy!


Easy Roasted Yellow Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

• 2 lbs fresh, garden ripe tomatoes
• 1 small handful of fresh basil or to taste
• 1/4 cup EVOO

Wash and cut the tomatoes into large chunks. Place tomatoes (seeds and all) in a glass baking dish in an even layer. Top with the EVOO and a sprinkle of salt. Roast under a low broiler until tomatoes have burnt edges and the juices have begun to thicken. Do not over roast, you want the tomatoes to have a nice roasted flavor. If you over cook them, your sauce will taste of burnt tomatoes.


When tomatoes are ready, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. I take this opportunity to clean the basil. 


Place the cooked tomatoes, juices and all, in a blender with the basil. Remove the center of the lid to allow the heat to escape and puree on high until the sauce has a smooth consistency. Because you use the blender, there's no need to remove the skin from the tomatoes before cooking. If you blend the sauce until smooth, you'll never know the skins were there. 


Taste sauce for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Serve over your favorite pasta. Add a little fresh parmesan and serve.

Summer White Beans and Grilled Tuscan Chicken

We recently returned from our beach vacation in South Carolina where the veggie stands were already brimming with fresh sweet onions, vine ripe tomatoes, okra, cantaloup and watermelon. While at the beach, I took a few turns in the kitchen trying my hand at making peel and eat shrimp and stewed okra. Now that we're home and summer harvest has yet to come to the midwest, I'm looking for summer tastes that will fill the void until August. 


Enter my summer take on white beans and grilled chicken. Our family loves beans in just about all forms. I make them in the winter and serve them simply with bread and salad. However, now that I'm gluten free, I'm looking for some new ways to serve them.


Tuscan white beans and rosemary are an Italian winter classic. I don't have rosemary on hand this week, but do have a large box of basil that I carried with me on vacation looking for an opportunity that did not materialize. So, here I am, home at last looking in my pantry for something easy to start the post vacation work week and what do I find; a small bag of dried Great Northerns just waiting for my inspiration.


The plan is to soak the white beans and then cook them with fresh sweet onion, garlic and the basil stems. Then serve them alongside some grilled chicken I've marinated with EVOO, garlic and topped with the creamy basil dressing from the Epicurious post included below. Add a bit of fresh corn and a summer salad and we should be in business for a healthy and satisfying dinner.


Summer White Beans

• 8 oz dried White Beans (Great Northern, Navy, Cannellini, etc.)
• Few stems of Basil (Remove the stems, reserve the leaves for serving)
• 1/2 large sweet onion
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 large bay leaves
• Enough fresh filtered water to cover

Soak dried beans overnight in water. When ready to cook, strain beans and cover with a few inches of fresh water. Add the remaining ingredients and ensure that there's enough water to cover the beans and other ingredients. Place over medium heat and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Check a few beans for doneness and continue to cook until beans are soft, but not mushy.


When beans are cooked through, strain out the onion, carrots, bay leaves and basil stems from the pot with a large spoon. Next, strain the beans through a colander to remove them from the cooking liquid. Place beans in serving bowl and add:

• a few tablespoons of good EVOO (just enough to lightly coat the beans)
• basil leaves torn into smaller pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Serve with Tuscan Chicken below. Leftovers make a terrific lunch the next day. You can add a few red pepper flakes for a little kick of heat if you desire.

Tuscan Chicken Thighs

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• Pinch of salt
• Few grinds of fresh pepper
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tbsp crushed or minced garlic (I use the kind from a jar)
• 1 tsp dried Oregano (crush in your palm before adding)
• 1 tsp dried Basil (crush in your palm before adding)

Place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag in the order provided. Seal the bag and massage the marinade over the chicken pieces to ensure even coating. Place bag in a baking dish and leave in the fridge at least overnight and up to 2 days.

Heat grill and clean grates. When grill is hot, strain chicken pieces from marinade and place on hot grill. Turn grill to low and do not disturb the chicken pieces for 5 minutes (check at around 4 minutes to ensure the chicken is cooking and not burning). Rotate the chicken half a turn (to create "grill marks") and allow to continue cooking for 2 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook for 3 minutes. Rotate again and allow to cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the largest piece from the grill and check for doneness either with an instant read thermometer or by cutting a small slit into the middle of the piece of chicken deep enough so that you can determine if it is done. When chicken has cooked through, remove to a plate and tent with foil. Allow chicken pieces to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Basil Dressing.

LINK - Epicurious.com:  Basil Dressing