Like Nonna's Pomodoro, but Not at All

Bourdain was right. You ask anyone what their death row meal is and they all have one of three words in it: hoof, cheek, and mom in it (part 2, after hours with daniel boulud, my new chef I go ga-ga for).

I started making my own pasta sauce back when I had hours and hours to kill on my hands, no cable, and just a few downloaded episodes of Bourdain from iTunes on my laptop when I lived in the backwater town of Edinboro, PA. One of the most influential ones, which I still consult to this day, is the techniques special. It was there that I was first introduced to some of the gents whose work J'adore these days- like Thomas Keller, Scott Conant, and especially ESPECIALLY Jacques Pepin (he is my new David Attenborough). It was from this I was inspired to make my own pasta sauce, just a humble, "rustic" one.

POMODORO
 This recipe is in two parts, you can skip part A if you'd rather used canned tomatoes... which I guess is okay if you absolutely don't have time... I suppose... ;)

A: 1lb. ROMA tomatoes (or more if you are planning to freeze some sauce so you can impress the ladies or your manslice later, and I don't recommend beefsteak or slicing tomatoes, they have too much water in them and not as much oomphy tomato flavour)

Bring a large (4+ quarts, large enough that the tomatoes will be submerged) pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it so that it is as salty as the sea- this is a general rule for blanching (except green things, but that's for another time). Right next to your work area, get a large bowl of ice water ready to put the tomatoes in after blanching. Slice X's in the bottom of your tomatoes so that they peel easier, and plop them in the pot for about 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon or pour into a strainer, transfer to the ice water bath for a few minutes so until they are cool enough to handle.

mash mash mash mash

Remove your toms from their frigid bath. Peel the skins off and cut out their belly button (stem). Cut them in half across their equator and squeeze out their guts. Jose Andres likes to eat them, but I'm not so down with that... Add some olive oil to the pot, dice up the toms and drop 'em back in. Pour a glass of wine, mash them down with a potato masher.

B: You will need:

• fresh basil (a big 'ol handful)
• one head of garlic cloves (omit if allergic, but you knew that) 
• 1-2 cup olive oil 

This is also something delicious you can make a large batch of and use for multiple purposes. Keeps refrigerated for a good long while, at least a week.

let your cat help you...

Place all ingredients in a small pot and simmer for about 10-15 min, like making a tea with oil. Strain when sufficiently tasty. You'll have to keep tasting along the way. To infuse more flavor, when cool enough place in a glass jar, cover, and refrigerate over night.

C: Combine A + B:

udon noodles and sauce with purple basil garnish

     Your tomatoes should be relatively smooth, some chunks can be nice though. Stir in some of your basil/garlic oil.

When you go to combine your pasta of choice with the sauce, I like to finish in a sautee pan. Heat the sauce and let it reduce a bit, then add a knob (as Julia would call it) of butter if you are so inclined to dairy products. At this point, I like to also add some chiffonade basil and truffle oil, but use sparingly because it is pretty intense. Add your pasta and give it a few flips. This packs air into your finished product and is what helps your palate appreciate the flavors more evenly. The whole air/oxygen molecule concept is also what helps make sushi, especially nigiri style, so flavorful despite the few ingredients because there is air packed into the little pillows of rice as the chef squeezes them. Season out with salt and pepper.

try atop some gnocchi, that you of course made yourself...

To plate, you can be fancy schmancy and use a ring mold like Scott Conant or just dump in a bowl and top with a nice little basil sprig, maybe some grated pecorino romano or

or your home-made hand cut pasta

Or, eat it out of the pan like a sub-human toddler, its okay as long as its tasty, and no one sees you.

Enjoy, ciao bella xoxo