Published September 1, 2006.
To capitalize on the full, robust flavor of great seasonal tomatoes, we found that any type of tomato tasted fine when skinned, seeded, chopped, and simmered in a skillet with garlic and olive oil—as long as it was ripe. But for suitable additions to finish our fresh tomato sauce recipes, we needed to look beyond the usual suspects like parsley and ricotta and find forceful flavors—potent herbs and spices (piney rosemary), cured meats (smoky bacon), and assertive cheeses (pungent feta), using them judiciously to keep the sauce in balance.
Pancetta can be substituted for the bacon. Any short tubular pasta is well suited to this sauce. If your tomatoes are tart, you may need to add up to 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
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