Three-tomato tagliatelle is a delicious dish, a distillation of flavours typical of Italian cuisine.
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20'
Cooking: 90'
Difficulty: easy
Method: 20'
Cooking: 90'
Cut datterini tomatoes in half
Place on a baking sheet and season with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and extra virgin olive oil
Bake in the oven at 100 °C for an hour, until they are wilted
Place cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves and bake in the oven at 230 °C for 15 minutes
Purée and pass through a sieve or fine mesh strainer to remove skins
Peel tomatoes with a potato peeler
Cut in half and remove seeds
Julienne
Peel lemons with a potato peeler, without removing the white pith
Julienne lemon rind
Add peel to a saucepan with boiling water and sugar
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes
Drain and set aside
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add chopped garlic clove, chili pepper, and chopped basil, and brown without burning
Add julienned plum tomatoes and roasted tomatoes, puréed and sieved
Cook for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper
Cook tagliatelle in plenty of salted, boiling water
Taste pasta after about 3 minutes—it should be al dente
Drain al dente pasta and transfer directly into the pan with the tomato sauce
Stir with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, mixing pasta well to create a creamy emulsion with tomatoes and oil
Allow pasta to absorb sauce for a couple minutes
Add datterini tomato confit
Arrange the tagliatelle on serving dishes
Garnish with lemon peel
Serve immediately, while pasta is hot
Three-tomato tagliatelle pairs well with a fresh and elegant white wine like Falanghina or a well-structured white such as Vermetino di Gallura.
Another excellent choice would be a delicate and fruity rosé, such as Chiaretto del Garda, or a fresh, fruity, and floral red like Chianti Classico.
You can arrange to prepare three-tomato tagliatelle in advance:
The fresh pasta can be prepared the day before and stored in the refrigerator covered with cling film, or even earlier and frozen in vacuum packs or bags.
You can pre-roll the dough and cut it into tagliatelle, then store the pasta either in the refrigerator or freezer. In the latter case, boil the pasta in salted water without thawing it when you prepare the dish.
You will gain time by wilting the datterini tomatoes for the confit in advance, even the day before. The cherry tomatoes can also be roasted, puréed, and strained the day before.
Do not make this recipe if you cannot find quality tomatoes at the right degree of ripeness.
Do not burn the garlic with the chilli pepper and basil.
Do not forget to pass the roasted cherry tomatoes through a sieve or strainer to make sure you don’t end up with the unpleasant texture of tomato skins in your mouth.
Do not let the pasta overcook; drain it when it is al dente and serve it immediately after plating.
While there is no accounting for taste, adding Parmigiano Reggiano to the tagliatelle disrupts the harmony of this dish.
Three-tomato tagliatelle should be eaten on the spot; if you really have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator for a day. When you want to eat it, reheat the pasta in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Three-tomato tagliatelle is a delicious dish, a distillation of flavours typical of Italian cuisine.
It is very easy to make, you just have to take some time to prepare the tomatoes in the three ways the recipe indicates—the different flavours created by the different cooking techniques are what make this dish special!
Make this recipe in the summer, when the tomatoes are in season and at their most flavourful.
You can use ready-made egg pasta, but we guarantee that the taste of tagliatelle cut from fresh, homemade egg dough really makes a difference!
Lemon peel, the classic chef’s touch, gives the dish a pleasant note of freshness.
400 g egg tagliatelle
200 g plum tomatoes
30 g extra virgin olive oil
5 fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 hot chili pepper
Salt and pepper
For the datterini tomato confit
200 g datterini tomatoes
10 g extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch thyme
Salt and pepper
For the roasted cherry tomatoes
200 g cherry tomatoes
1 bunch thyme
Salt and pepper
For the peel
2 lemons
200 ml water
20 g sugar
Three-tomato tagliatelle pairs well with a fresh and elegant white wine like Falanghina or a well-structured white such as Vermetino di Gallura.
Another excellent choice would be a delicate and fruity rosé, such as Chiaretto del Garda, or a fresh, fruity, and floral red like Chianti Classico.
