No-Cook Mediterranean Pasta Sauce

First bite!

🍅 This fresh no-cook Mediterranean pasta sauce is unlike any other pasta sauce I’ve had ~ it’s basically the opposite of an all-day marinara.

🍅 I feel like I’m rediscovering the classic Mediterranean flavors I already know and love. They take on a whole new personality in this no-cook sauce.

🍅 The tomato grating technique is genius.

🍅 This easy meal just makes me happy ~ simply chop, toss, and eat!

The no-cook pasta Mediterranean pasta sauce base

This is ingenious, and so easy.

1. GRATE THE TOMATO: Take a ripe tomato and grate it along the large holes of a box grater.
   • Keep grating until you there is only the skin remaining, and discard.
   • You are left with a thin, impossibly fresh tasting tomato ‘sauce’.
2. FLAVOR IT: Add garlic, extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Now add the extras

• slivered onion
• olives and capers
• halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
• toasted pine nuts
• basil leaves
• shaved Parmesan

Serving your no cook pasta sauce

I thought I’d prefer this tossed with hot pasta ~ the contrast of temperatures is wonderful, but I discovered I love it cold too.

• TO SERVE HOT: toss the hot pasta with the cool sauce and serve immediately.

• TO SERVE ROOM TEMP: Cook your pasta, drain and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking. Toss with the sauce when ready to serve.

➡ It’s a cliché, but a little crusty bread would be nice here, to catch all those juices your fork is useless against.

Can I make this ahead?

This is a partial make-ahead situation. The briny olive-caper dressing can sit out for a while, but save the tomatoes for the last minute ~ that’s what keeps the sauce tasting fresh instead of tired.

• You can prep the grated tomato, olive oil, vinegar, olives, capers, and red onion a few hours ahead, but wait to add the sliced cherry tomatoes until closer to serving.
• Cook the pasta fresh if you want that hot/cool contrast in your meal.
• Or cook the pasta ahead and toss with olive oil to keep it from sticking. Serve room temperature.

Want to add protein to your no-cook pasta sauce?

Best fits would be Mediterranean, low-effort proteins that don’t fight the fresh sauce:

• chickpeas or white beans
• flaked tuna
• anchovies
• cooked shrimp

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No Cook Mediterranean Pasta Sauce

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This no-cook Mediterranean pasta sauce leans on pantry staples ~ olive oil, vinegar, garlic, olives, capers, and shaved cheese ~ plus ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs. Nothing fancy, but everything high-impact.

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Servings: 4

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Equipment

• box grater

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

sauce

• 2 ripe red tomatoes
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup pitted olives, black or green, halved or sliced
• 1/4 small red onion, cut in thin slivers
• 1 Tbsp capers
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

pasta

• 1/2 lb thin spaghetti, cooked al dente

garnish suggestions

• shavings of Parmesan cheese
• toasted pine nuts
• small basil leaves

Instructions

• Put the box grater over a bowl and grate the whole tomatoes, letting the juice flow into the bowl. Keep grating until you are left with just the skin, and discard.
• Add the 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar to the bowl, along with the 1/4 cup pitted olives, black or green, the 1/4 small red onion, and the 1 Tbsp capers. Give everything a stir and add the coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add a bit more vinegar if the sauce needs a more acidity. I added another tablespoon. Note: this part of the sauce can be made ahead if necessary. Cover and refrigerate.
• Add the 1/2 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes that have been halved or quartered, depending on size. Toss gently with your cooked spaghetti. The pasta can be hot or room temperature.
• Serve garnished with shaved Parm and small leaves of basil.

Notes

This recipe makes 4 light servings or 3 generous servings.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: 30 minute meal, dinner, Mediterranean, no cook, pasta, sauce, summer

Nutrition

Calories: 368 kcal · Carbohydrates: 48 g · Protein: 9 g · Fat: 16 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g · Sodium: 201 mg · Potassium: 417 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 5 g · Vitamin A: 838 IU · Vitamin C: 23 mg · Calcium: 32 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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