Heirloom Tomato Pasta Bake With Fresh Tomato Sauce Panzanella Salad And Insalata Verde Food

PASTA WITH FRESH HEIRLOOM TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Make an x with a sharp knife on the bottom end of each of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water, cook for 60 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Let cool for a minute or two minutes.
• Place the tomatoes on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices, and dump out the ice water, reserving the bowl. Peel off the tomato skins, then roughly chop the tomatoes, discarding the stem and any white core. Transfer the chopped tomatoes to the bowl with all of the juices.
• Meanwhile, return the same pot that you cooked the tomatoes in to the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then add the garlic and onions and sauté, not allowing the garlic and onions to get more than lightly golden, for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the red pepper flakes if using and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and all of their juices, and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a simmer, add the sugar, and cook for about 10 to 20 minutes until the sauce is as thick as you like it. Stir in the fresh herbs. Check and adjust the seasoning.
• While the tomato sauce finishes cooking cook the pasta according to package instructions. At this point if you like a chunky sauce you can simply drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and toss with the sauce to combine. Or you can use an immersion blender to puree the sauce as smooth as you'd like right in the pot, or carefully transfer it to a food processor or blender and pulse or puree the mixture - in batches if necessary - until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Serve in a large shallow serving bowl, or in individual bowls. Pass the Parmesan for those who want it.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bread and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Combine the cucumbers, onions, parsley, capers, olives, garlic, basil, tomatoes and cooled bread cubes in a bowl and dress with the Mustard-Anchovy Vinaigrette. You may use more or less vinaigrette depending on your preference. Season with salt and pepper.
• Puree the vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallots and anchovies in a blender. With the motor running, emulsify the oil into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and preheat a cookie sheet in it.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bread to a baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle with the cheese and toss again while warm to melt the cheese.
• Bake, stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 8 or 9 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container.
• Michael's Notes: I use a serrated knife to remove the crust from day-old bread, then switch to a chef's knife to cut the cubes because it doesn't tear the bread. Also note that I recommend grating the Parmesan finely so that it will stick to the bread better.

PANZANELLA STUFFED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cut the top 1/4-inch off each tomato and reserve. With a serrated knife, cut the interior membrane away from the outside skin without cutting through completely; scoop the membrane and seeds out with a spoon and transfer to a strainer set over a bowl to drain. Season the hollowed tomatoes and the membrane in the strainer with salt and pepper.
• Put the onions in a small bowl and cover them with 2 tablespoons vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let stand 10 minutes; this will remove some of the raw sharp flavor of the onion. In a bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon vinegar, the garlic oil and 1/4 cup of the drained tomato water. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Coarsely chop the drained tomato membrane and put in a mixing bowl. Drain the onions and add them along with the grissini pieces. Drizzle the dressing over the bowl and toss very well; season again and add more oil, tomato water and vinegar, as needed, to evenly moisten the stuffing. Stuff each tomato with 1/4 of the stuffing and garnish with the tomato tops. Chill until ready to serve.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO PANZANELLA

Steps:

• Heat a stove-top grill. Brush the bread with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill for 10 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. If you don't have a stove-top grill, heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season liberally with salt and pepper and arrange the vegetables artfully on a platter. Drizzle the bread with extra vinaigrette or olive oil and add to the platter.
• Serve immediately, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.