I love dishes that hero one vegetable and there’s nothing better than shining a light on summer tomatoes. This spag is super basic and very delicious, relying on ripe, juicy tomatoes, warmed and seasoned. You can use any type of tomato but if you use cherry tomatoes, the whole dish can be cooked without picking up a knife.
Serves: 4-6
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 600 grams (21 oz) tomatoes, chopped if large, whole if cherry
- flaked salt
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp raw sugar
- 2 tsp red or white wine vinegar
- pepper
- 500 grams (17.6 oz) spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions
Method
1. Coat a large, heavy-based frypan with a little olive oil and heat on medium. It’s great if your pan can hold the tomatoes in one layer. Add the tomatoes and a large pinch of salt and cook gently, shaking the pan occasionally. (You can get the tomatoes going then hang out the beach towels or make a round of G&Ts, returning to jostle the pan.)
2. When the tomatoes have started to collapse, add a little more olive oil, the sugar, vinegar and a few tablespoons of water. At this point, you could cover the pan – use a chopping board if there’s no lid – and turn it down low to sweat a little more.
3. Serve tomatoes when you like the look of them, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and swirled with spaghetti. Your pan will have lots of sweet tomato juices: make sure everyone gets some of those.
Tips
- The more simple the dish, the more it relies on the absolute brilliance of the ingredients. Use the very best, ripest, juiciest, most glorious tomatoes you can find, and the most delicious olive oil in your pantry.
More about this recipe
This recipe first appeared in a Good Food article about cooking on holidays. The lovely pic is by Simon Schluter.
Want more healthy, simple, veg-focused meals for the whole family? Check out my list over here and while you’re there, watch my interview with cooking legend Stephanie Alexander and chef Curtis Stone.
