Recipe: Geraldine’s Mellow Tomato Sauce with Brie
Serves4 to 6
For the most part, watching Instagram stories is always a good idea — especially since it brought the idea for summer’s most amazing tomato sauce to life. Had I not been scrolling through my feed, I never would have seen this simple, must-make tomato and Brie sauce that managing editor Geraldine pulled together for a fast and fancy midweek dinner. It’s the kind of no-cook sauce made with the ripest, juiciest summer tomatoes in mind. They’re chopped and tossed together with torn sweet basil, a few glugs of good olive oil, and chunks of creamy, pungent Brie that melt into the sauce when hot pasta hits the bowl.
The Best Pasta for This Sauce
While you can certainly partner a sauce with any type of pasta, some shapes work better than others. And such is the case with this creamy, chunky, herb-flecked sauce. Geraldine mentioned that she recently made this with spaghetti because it’s what she had on hand, although it’s best with a twisty, short-cut pasta. I couldn’t agree more, and think gemelli or corkscrew-like cavatappi are best here.
The ingredients for the sauce are chopped and stirred together in a large bowl, then left to blend and mellow while you prepare the pasta. The magic happens once the hot noodles are tossed into the bowl. The bits of Brie soften and melt, blending with the sweet tomatoes and adding weight to the sauce, while it seeps into every twist, turn, crack, and crevice of the pasta. There is bliss in every bite.
Geraldine's Mellow Tomato Sauce with Brie
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 pounds
plum or Roma tomatoes
- 3 cloves
garlic, finely chopped
Leaves of 1 small bunch fresh basil, coarsely torn
- 6 ounces
brie or camembert cheese, torn into chunks (rinds discarded if desired)
- 5 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound
dry gemelli or cavatappi pasta
- 1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes (optionla)
Instructions
Core and coarsely chop the tomatoes, then place in a large bowl along with any accumulated juices. Add the garlic, basil, cheese, olive oil, salt, and black pepper to the bowl and mix well; set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta.
Immediately add the warm pasta to the tomato mixture. Stir well so the cheese starts to melt and the pasta is well coated with the sauce. Divide between bowls, top with red pepper flakes if desired, and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.