There are few more perfect things than a ripened on the vine, juicy summer tomato. Perfect is a strong word, though in this case I think its apropos. Whether you’re enjoying an heirloom (e.g., Cherokee purple, striped German, green zebra, Brandywine, etc. – there are 3,000+ cultivated varieties) or an assortment of sweet cherry tomatoes, a good tomato is the epitome of summer and should be celebrated.

FYI, heirloom tomatoes are varieties that have been grown without crossbreeding. Heirloom tomatoes are often open-pollinated, which means that they are pollinated naturally, by birds, insects, wind, or human hands. Conversely, your typical pale red supermarket tomato has been carefully crossbred to have particular characteristics (i.e., uniformly plump and round, and firm so it transports well). Flavor is generally not one of the characteristics. Heirlooms are delicate and don’t ship well, so seek them out at farmers’ markets and grocers that support local farmers.

These heirlooms (grown by yours truly) are earmarked for a big giant summer salad. The cherry tomatoes were transformed into a simple sauce to pair with semolina pasta that I made by hand the other day.

For the pasta, all you need is semolina/semola (rimacinata di grano duro) and water. I added a pinch of saffron for extra color, but that’s totally optional. This pasta shape doesn’t require any special equipment. Once you mix, knead, and let your dough rest, just roll out a piece of the dough into a rope, cut into approximately 1/2″ pieces and, using your thumb, roll the pieces over some type of ridged or patterned surface. This could be anything from a cheese grater to a bamboo sushi mat to a gnocchi board.

From there, I whipped up an easy cherry tomato sauce (took about 15 minutes, plus 5 minutes of prep) and tossed it all together with my cooked pasta, topped with some freshly grated Parmesan, chopped pistachios and fresh basil leaves from the garden.

Simply delicious!

Cherry Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 anchovies
Large pinch red pepper flakes (used Calabrian)
1 ½ pounds cherry tomatoes
Fine sea salt
12 ounces your favorite pasta shape
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Chopped roasted pistachios, for serving
Basil, torn into pieces, for serving

Bring the olive oil to a simmer in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, anchovies and chile flakes and cook, stirring until the garlic is softened and fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.

Increase heat to medium and add the tomatoes. Season with salt. Cook, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 4 minutes. Smash some but not all of the tomatoes with the back of a wood spoon to help create a sauce. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens a bit, about 10 minutes. You want the sauce chunky — about half the tomatoes broken down and half relatively intact.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (fresh pasta won’t take more than a few minutes). Drain pasta. Toss with sauce. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more Parmesan, pistachios and basil.

Semolina Pasta

2 cups semolina/semola (rimacinata di grano duro)
About 3/4 cup warm water
Pinch of saffron threads (optional)

Mound the semola flour on a clean work surface. Using the bottom of bowl or cup, create a small well in the middle.

Add saffron threads to the water (if using). Stir until the water takes on a yellow color. Let sit for 15 minutes. With a fine-mesh sieve, strain the saffron water into the well.

With a fork, slowly incorporate the flour into the liquid, little by little. When the dough comes together, use your hands to knead the dough until springy and elastic. Continue to rotate the dough while kneading it to work different angles. Wrap the dough with plastic and let it rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Cut off a portion of the pasta dough (making sure to keep the rest covered with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out). On a clean work surface, roll the portion into a rope until it’s about 1/2-inch thick.

Slice the dough into sections roughly 1/2-inch long pieces. Place the piece of dough on a gnocchi board (or another type of textured surface, even an inexpensive bamboo sushi rolling mat works), and with your the side of your thumb, slowly roll the dough toward you. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Drop the pasta into a pot of salted water and cook until they float to the top and are al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Or, you can let dry at room temperature and then freeze.