Ripe tomatoes and brie meld into this luscious, no-cook pasta sauce | Recipe

If you’re wondering how to make use of the summer tomatoes that are ripening all around us, without all the daylong fuss that goes into canning sauce, look no further.

This recipe was a finalist in a long-ago contest in the Washington Post, and reminiscent of one I found years ago in The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins with Michael McLaughlin.

The authors revealed the sauce’s secret.

“We first had this uncooked pasta sauce when we were guests in a beautiful home on Sardinia,” Rosso and Lukins write in their recipe’s headnote. “Such a recipe could only be the result of hot, lazy days and abundant ripe tomatoes and basil. The heat of the pasta warms and brings out the flavors of the sauce in a wonderfully subtle way. Delicious and easy.”

To recreate that experience, use the absolute best summer tomatoes you can find and set the bowl of sauce ingredients near your pot of pasta water, or somewhere warm, to encourage the tomatoes to release their juices and the brie to soften. That way, when the hot pasta hits it, it will swiftly melt and meld into an incomparably luscious sauce that requires no cooking but tastes as if it could have taken all day to make.

Bonus: This recipe serves six and takes 30 minutes to cook, making it great dinner party fare. (Of course, you can also scale it down.) Pair it with a salad of chicories or arugula and some fresh bread for an easy feast.

This is an ideal summer pasta for when farmers markets are overflowing with peak-season tomatoes. Roasting garlic mellows out its bite but preserves its signature complexity, and creamy brie adds body for a luxurious weeknight dinner that comes together in little time.

Serve with a green salad.

Servings: 6

Total time: 30 minutes

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Notes: To roast garlic: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. (This is also a great time to use your toaster oven.) Trim the top of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Place the garlic, cut side up, on a piece of foil, and drizzle with the oil and season with a pinch of salt. Wrap the garlic, transfer to a small sheet pan and roast for 45 minutes, or until very soft and caramel-colored. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Roasted garlic can be prepared and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon fine salt (optional), plus more for the pasta water

12 to 16 ounces dried whole-grain thin spaghetti

6 to 7 large Roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped

6 ounces brie cheese, preferably softened, rind removed, cut or torn into chunks

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons

1/2 head roasted garlic (see notes and substitutions)

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Steps

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, stir together the tomatoes, brie, basil, and half of the roasted garlic until well combined. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to combine, adding more oil, if desired. Set the bowl somewhere warm, such as by the stove.

Drain the pasta thoroughly, then transfer to the sauce and toss until the brie melts. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss lightly to combine. Divide among wide, shallow bowls and serve, with more of the cheese for passing at the table.

Substitutions: Roma tomatoes >> 2 pints assorted cherry/grape tomatoes. Homemade roasted garlic >> 1 1/2 tablespoons store-bought roasted garlic. Roasted garlic >> 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced. Brie >> Camembert or other soft, ripened cheese. Parmigiano-Reggiano >> pecorino Romano or grana Padano.

Nutritional Facts per serving (2 ounces dried pasta) | Calories: 372, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Carbohydrates: 45 g, Sodium: 536 mg, Cholesterol: 33 mg, Protein: 17 g, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 2 g

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

Adapted from Patrice Kehoe, a finalist in the 2008 Top Tomato Recipe Contest.