Sungold Tomato Pasta with Stracciatella and Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
5 Minutes
15-20 Minutes
3
Pasta
California
This is a dish that Claire originally made for me that featured scorza de lime and a jar of Datterini tomatoes canned in water. It was a delightful “twist” on a simple, fresh summer tomato pasta.
I’ve modified the recipe a bit - the Italian Datterini tomatoes are delightful, but largely unavailable in the United States. Sungold tomatoes are, far and away, my favorite tomatoes (and are more commonly available). If you can’t find them, just use the best, sweetest and juiciest cherry tomatoes you can find.
Citrus is, of course, a bit of an uncommon addition to tomato based pasta sauces, but it was delicious, and made even better with the addition of our Meyer lemon oil. I’ve omitted the lime zest here, but you can include it if you’re feeling festive. I found that the Meyer lemon oil did a better job of delivering that floral-citrusy aroma than the lime zest, and completed this dish perfectly.
The stracciatella is non-negotiable. This is another ingredient that can unfortunately be a little tricky to find on its own in the States. If you can’t find stracciatella, a ball of burrata is a great substitute, but the lively, bright tomatoes, aromatic citrus, and delicate but creamy fresh cheese come together to form something just short of divine.
A note about the cooking liquid. When cooking pasta, the tradition of using a very large pot of water comes from restaurants, that would be re-using that water over and over again over the course of the night. In home kitchens, where the pasta water is only being used once, you need much less water.
Ingredients
12 Oz Fresh Pasta, Spaghetti or other noodle
12 Oz Datterini or Sungold Tomatoes (see Note 1)
2 TBS Frantoio Grove EVOO
2 Garlic Gloves, peeled
¼ tsp Fine Sea Salt (1.5 g)
To Finish
Stracciatella (see Note 2)
Recipe
Step 1
Boil Water: Set 2 Qts of water to boil with 1 TBS of salt in a 4 Qt pot. 2 Qts is plenty of water to cook the pasta, and adding more water only dilutes the starches in the water - we’ll need those later!
Step 2
Cook the tomatoes: While the water heats, cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and then add to an 8 Qt sauce pan (or large sauté pan) with garlic, salt, and oil and set on medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes have become soft and released their juices.
Step 3
Blend the tomatoes: When the tomatoes are soft, transfer them to a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth then add sauce back to pan. Optional: for an extra smooth sauce, pass through a fine mesh strainer.
Step 4
Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. Cook according to package directions, minus 30 seconds.
Step 5
Finish the Pasta: Scoop pasta and about ½ Cup of pasta water into the pan with the tomato sauce. Cook on medium-high heat, tossing pasta in the pan to keep the pasta moving, until sauce is a desired consistency and noodles are well coated.
Step 6
Plate Sungold Tomato Pasta: Serve in wide coupe bowls, top with a dollop of stracciatella or cheese of your choosing, and finish with a generous glug of lemon oil on top and around the plate. Enjoy!
Notes for Sungold Tomato Pasta
1) Datterini tomatoes are small, Italian plum tomatoes known for their sweetness. If you can’t find them, Sungold tomatoes are a top bet.
2) Stracciatella is the tender, creamy cheese that is found inside of a ball of burrata. If you can’t find it, a ball of burrata would be an excellent substitute (a single ball is plenty for this recipe, but I won’t stop you if you want to make it decadent with an entire ball per plate!) Otherwise, some fresh mozzarella torn into small pieces would work as well.
