No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce
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This fast, no-cook tomato sauce is made simply with ripe tomatoes, basil and garlic. It’s a summer-inspired sauce for all types of pasta, or use it as the topping for my chicken bruschetta, with grilled fish, or straight over toasted bread.
This Italian-style “pasta alla checca” tomato sauce is what I make at the peak of summer, or anytime I don’t want to cook, or even think much about it.
It’s made with uncooked fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. I almost don’t want to call it a recipe because it’s such a simple combination of ingredients.
Toss it together in 5 minutes flat — no stove required, unlike my 5-minute pizza sauce, which needs a quick simmer. It’s an ideal hot-weather sauce since you can make it ahead and serve it at room temperature.
It’s all about ripe tomatoes
- Tomatoes: Homegrown are the dream, but in real life, supermarket or farmer’s market heirloom, vine, or plum tomatoes all work beautifully — or halved cherry tomatoes (or roasted and bursting, if you’d rather go that route in this cherry tomato pasta with ricotta). Gently feel if the fruit is more tender than firm, and heavy with juice.
- Garlic: Raw garlic is potent, so I use a small clove and chop it very finely or grate it on a rasp grater. Since it’s not getting cooked, a little goes a long way.
- Fresh basil leaves: Tear them or slice into ribbons — don’t chop it fine, since bruised basil quickly turns blackt and you’ll lose its fresh green color in the sauce. Parsley, fresh marjoram or oregano taste different but work well too.
Why there’s nothing to cook
1. Slice the tomatoes into thick wedges first — it’s the easiest way to prep for dicing. 2. Cut into bite-size cubes and transfer to a bowl, juices and all — that liquid becomes part of the sauce, so don’t drain it off.
3. Grate the garlic straight over the bowl so you don’t lose any of its pungent juice on the cutting board. 4. Add olive oil, salt and basil. Once the sauce is combined, you can let the ingredients mingle and marinate for an hour or two (the salt will make it juicier) or serve it right away.
No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1½-2 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces or sliced into ribbons
Instructions
- Slice the tomatoes into ½-inch chunks. If you're using cherry tomatoes, slice them in half. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl.
- Grate the garlic clove over the tomatoes. If you don't have a rasp grater, chop the garlic very finely with a chef's knife.
- Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with the salt. Stir to combine and then add the basil.
- Add hot cooked pasta to the bowl and toss. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough sauce for 1/2 pound of pasta, and it can easily be doubled or tripled.
- The sauce can sit at room temperature up to 3 hours. Toss it with cooked pasta just before serving.
- If you don’t have basil, use a fresh green herb such as parsley, marjoram or even baby arugula.
- Add fresh feta cheese, torn fresh mozzarella or other soft cheese to the pasta.
- Fresh tomato sauce will keep 1-2 days refrigerated. Drain off any accumulated liquid if using as topping for pizza or bruschetta.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Can I freeze this sauce?
Hi Patricia, I don’t recommend freezing this sauce. The reason is that fresh tomatoes contain a lot of water, which turns into ice and changes the texture of the tomatoes once thawed. They’ll become mushy. Instead, you could briefly cook the sauce (about 10 minutes), cool completely, and then freeze for 2-3 months.