Happy September! It’s that time of year where if you are a gardener, and it’s been a good summer, you may end up with more tomatoes than you know what to do with. If you aren’t a gardener, you probably know one who is happy to share. Barring the above, well, tomatoes are cheap and plentiful at the local markets. This year I planted lots of grape and cherry tomatoes along with Tennessee regulars like Bradley’s and Whoppers. One of the cherry tomato plants has these adorable yellow grape tomatoes that everyone loves. The big tomatoes are perfect for tomato sandwiches, bread salad, and gazpacho - plus a nightly tomato, onion, and cucumber salad. The little ones are so plentiful it was obvious that just eating as many as possible on a daily basis was not going to handle the supply. Last week I had friends over to swim and on a whim put the tomatoes on a pretty plate with bite size pieces of fresh Mozzarella cheese, a drizzle of good olive oil and salt and pepper. Cool! Instant appetizer – we ate every one.
I repeated the appetizer for a party adding pretty sprigs of Rosemary. It was the easiest snack I’ve ever made and everyone loved it. We also had hummus, eggplant caponata, plum tarts, and – you get the picture – a whole lot of food. The outcome was a handful of leftover tomatoes that were already coated in olive oil, salt and pepper. I would hate myself in January if I threw out a summer tomato so I had to think of something to do with them.
The easy answer was to put the tomatoes in a 300 degree oven to “sun dry” them. I was thinking it was worth it for the smell alone. Then my husband came home, sniffed the air appreciatively, and said, “ What’s for dinner?” I have a love/hate relationship with that question. Like most family cooks, I just want someone else to think of a menu occasionally. If I actually ask my guys, I get the two universal answers - burgers and pizza. And they don’t really even mean it! They want something yummy, exciting, and comforting all at the same time. They just don’t want to think of it. That’s a lot of pressure.
Ok, we have sundried tomatoes...how about pasta? It was rainy (finally) so pasta with a creamy tomato sauce would be perfect. There is always pasta in the pantry and cheese in the fridge so everything else was just a happy addition. A little cream and butter went a long way to make the pasta decadent. Fresh basil took it over the top, but dried would work in the winter. A surprise splash of Vermouth was perfection. Hence Sundried Tomato and Cream Sauce was born. What a birthday! It was delicious and will now be a household standard. Thank heavens for September tomatoes.
Sundried Tomato and Cream Sauce for Pasta
Ingredients
2 cups small tomatoes cherry or grape or a mix (Hint: You can skip this step and buy sundried tomatoes in a jar.)
2 garlic cloves finely minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ tsp butter
½ cup cream
Pinch red pepper flakes (1/8 tsp)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (about 2 oz)
2 Tbsp sliced basil (or 1 Tsp dried)
1 Tbsp Vermouth or dry wine
Cooked pasta, by package directions
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line a baking pan (8x8 is fine) with foil.
Slice tomatoes in half and place on prepared pan.
Sprinkle garlic over tomatoes.
Drizzle with oil and add salt and pepper. I stir the whole thing around with my hands.
Bake for 1½ to 2 hours until slightly shriveled and browned in some places.
Remove from oven while you make sauce and pasta.
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add butter to melt and cream.
Stir in red pepper flakes, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, basil, and Vermouth.
Add in tomatoes and all accumulated juices.
Stir to melt cheese, taste for seasonings. (Hint: Add a little pasta water if sauce is too thick.)
Serve with favorite pasta and extra Parmesan on top.
Cherry and grape tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese cut in cubes
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste (Fresh grated is best)
Fresh herbs to garnish (basil, rosemary, tarragon, chives – whatever you have or like)
Put tomatoes and cheese on a plate, drizzle with a few tablespoons of oil and dust with salt and pepper. Add herbs. Serve at room temperature with toothpicks.
