- 2½ pounds heirloom tomatoes, a multicolored mix of yellow, orange, red, green, and/or purple
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon aged red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- Coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces fresh linguine
- 4 ounces aged ricotta salata, coarsely grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons Basil Pesto (recipe follows) or basil chiffonade
- 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 cups (packed) basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
- About ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pine nuts, ground in a food processor or with a mortar and pestle
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- Several grindings of black pepper
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Remove the tomatoes' stems, cutting out a small circle of skin around them. Cut a small, shallow X on the bottom of each tomato, just deep enough to puncture the skin. Lower the tomatoes into the boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds, depending on their ripeness. (The riper the tomato, the less time is required.) Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the ice water. As the tomatoes cool, the skin will begin to pull away from the flesh. Peel the tomatoes (the skin should come right off with the aid of a paring knife), halve them crosswise, and squeeze out the seeds. Cut the flesh into large dice and set aside.
- In a bowl that is large enough to hold all of the ingredients, gather the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, shallots, and both vinegars. Toss, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, taste the tomatoes and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Drain the pasta, add it to the tomatoes, and toss to combine.
- Use tongs to serve the pasta from the bowl, topping each serving with a good mix of tomatoes, then finishing it with some ricotta salata, parsley, Parmigiano, and a dollop of pesto.
- For the Basil Pesto:
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl halfway with ice water. In a small bowl, moisten the bread crumbs with the cream.
- Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and blanch for 15 seconds. Strain them, then plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright color.
- Gently squeeze as much excess moisture as possible from the basil leaves and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the garlic and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Process, adding some of the remaining oil if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add the bread crumb-cream mixture, pine nuts, cheese, cayenne pepper, if using, salt, and black pepper. Process once again until smooth. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer the pesto a smal1 bowl, and if not serving it immediately, cover it with plastic wrap, laying the film directly on the surface of the pesto.
- VARIATIONS
- This pasta is equally delicious cold, which makes it an ideal dish for late-summer picnics.
- The shaved ricotta salata can be replaced with crumbled fresh goat cheese or Roquefort.