The Geometry of Pasta is one of my most used Italian recipe books. Not so much for the recipes, but for the shapes and sizes of each pasta. I am working on a recipe to make burrata filled ravioli, to serve with a light tomato sauce and prawns. While I perfect this, I am sharing the recipes with you, that have gone into that development.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Light Tomato Sauce ♥
Light Tomato Sauce
For each pasta there is a sauce, and for each sauce, there is a pasta! As you all know, pasta comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There is pasta lunga such as spaghetti. Or pasta corta which are shorter strands. Then we have ripiena, which are stuffed pastas such as ravioli, or pastina, which are cooked in broth. An example of this would be tortellini. We have strascinati, a stretch pasta and ones that are dumplings, better known as gnocchi. Which ever pasta you choose to make, you have to include the correct sauce. This light tomato sauce is perfect with spaghettini, caramelle, ravioli, malfatti, or any filled pasta that has a subtle flavour.
Spaghettini
The word spago in Italian means string. Spaghetti is the diminutive of this, and spaghettini are little spaghetti. They are finer in texture, cook quicker than spaghetti, and take up a little more sauce. They have less resistance to the tooth and are best paired with a light sauce. Spaghettini should be 260mm long and 1.5mm in diameter, and are an extruded pasta.
Caramelle
Caramelle is a stuffed pasta, and shaped like a bon-bon whose plastic wrapper is twisted at both ends. Think of a half filled cannelloni with the ends twisted to seal them. This allows the enclosed subtle and delicate filling to be boiled, and the shape provides some texture to hold a sauce. The pasta originates from the Parma and Piacenza regions of Italy, and is served on festive days, or Sunday lunches. This egg dough pasta should be 80mm in length and 21mm wide.
Ravioli
Originating in the kitchens of the Northern royal courts since medieval times, ravioli are served on feasting and celebratory days across all of Italy. Two squares of pasta are pressed together, trapping a filling inside. The filling may consist of cheese, ground meat, pureed vegetables, or a combination of all three. My favourite to make is a spinach and ricotta ravioli with an egg yolk centre. Shapes vary depending on the filling and region, but the most common is square. When using an egg yolk, I prefer to make them circular, and for meat fillings, semi-circles work great as well. The square shaped pasta range in size from 30mm x 30mm to 100mm x 100mm. Served usually with a butter and sage sauce, or this light tomato sauce. They can also be served a culo nudo with a little bit of the cooking water and a dash of red wine.
Malfatti
These spinach and ricotta gnocchi are meant to be poorly made. The rustically made dumplings can have an irregular shape which is great if you are getting your children to help make them.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Light Tomato Sauce ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Light Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 30 mls olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 0.625 mls chilli flakes
- 0.625 mls fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper to season
Method
- Place the tomatoes into a blender, purée and set aside
- Place the olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over a medium temperature
- Add the garlic and leave to cook until fragrant
- Add the chilli flakes, cook until fragrant, then add the tomatoes and the salt
- Stir to combine, then increase the temperature and bring to a boil
- Reduce the temperature slightly then cook until the sauce starts to thicken
- Season to taste with pepper before adding your desired pasta and serving
See the links below for blog posts I published on December 26:
- 2023: Ajvar
- 2021: The Echo Chamber
- 2018: Piccolo Loft San Tommaso
- 2016: Spelt Pasta
- 2010: Christmas 2010
Today is going to be spent doing very little. We have no family coming over to see us this year and therefore, I have no meal to prepare for. Tomorrow we will raise a glass in memory of Dave’s mother.
Do enjoy doing ‘very little’! An absolutely necessary way of ‘spending time’ after a busy year . . , your delightful easy tomato sauce using fresh summer fruit right off the vine fits most suitably into the story . . .
It is a staple in my home, and I am doing very little indeed! First time I have been on line for a while 🙂
we are having a fairly quiet festive break. Just a picnic in the park with family on christmas day – which was lovely. Hope your day was lovely!
That sounds ideal! Our day was awesome, thank you xx
Nice, my recipe is similar
I am sure it is tasty!
I haven’t had pasta in probably more than a decade, but my husband loves it. Can’t wait to try the sauce as it sounds really easy and delicious.
And I am sure it can go with more than just pasta 🙂
Good basic tomato sauce which you can use in so many other things as well.
Indeed!
A good basic tomato sauce. I can also use it on so many other things.
I am thinking it would be good with chicken as well 🙂
Love this basic tomato sauce for pasta. Must be great with other things too.
I am sure it is!
This is a sauce that we have quite regularly as I often have fresh cherry tomatoes available.
Lucky you! I need to grow more soon 🙂
Hi Tandy
We’ll try it out – it looks yummy.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
And a wonderful new year to you too! Will pop into your blog soon 🙂