A seasonal dish, barely worth making unless the tomatoes are so good you'd eat them like apples. (The Parmesan must be high quality too.) This is my down‐and‐dirty, high‐fat version; it takes no time at all and is almost perfect, as long as you don't mind tomato skins. One variation is more elegant; another is lower in saturated fat. All of the variations may be incorporated singly or in combination. The basil is optional; the sauce will be successful without it. But when you have fresh tomatoes, you can usually find fresh basil without trouble.

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3 or 4 medium‐to‐large tomatoes, about 1 pound total, cored and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound linguine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium‐to‐large skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up, about 10 minutes; fish the tomato skins from the sauce as they separate from the pulp (or leave them in if you're not after elegance). Add most of the basil, reserving some for garnish.

Meanwhile, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until it is tender but firm. Season the sauce with salt and pepper; if it is thick—which it may be if you used meaty plum tomatoes or cooked out some of the liquid—thin it with some of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Garnish with the reserved basil and serve with the Parmesan.

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Source: How to Cook Everything