Sweet Linguine - video available

with fresh tomato and leek

This is a simple dish, and for me it is comfort food, which might be saying the same thing twice. Sweet, smooth, delicate, and calming. I suggest to serve it with liguine (appropriate Italian for 'little tongues'), because of their wonderful mouth-feel and because they have a lot of surface that can absorb this type of liquid semi-bound sauce.

ingredients p.p.:

3 ounces of linguine

3 medium-sized tomatos, chopped in 1/2 inch/ 1 cm pieces

2 inches of leek, sliced

1 clove of garlic, peeled

salt

extra virgin olive oil

a few leaves of either fresh basil or parsley, chopped

for contrast:

black pepper

or

parmigiano or mature pecorino cheese

or

bottarga di muggine

procedure:

Bring a pan of cold water to the boil – at least 1 quart/1 liter p.p.

( For the smoothest result: Skin the tomatos by dunking them in boiling water for 30 seconds. After that you're on your own.)

Heat a pan with enough olive oil to cover the bottom. ( If your tomatos contain a lot of water, use a frying pan for the larger surface that gives you evaporating power. If your tomatos are rather dry, better use a pan with vertical capacity, to avoid this.)

Squash your garlic and throw it in with the leek. Move it around until glazy and throw in the tomato. Mix and move around for a minute or two and reduce the heat (not too low). Stir once in a while to avoid sticking. When the liquid from the tomato starts to bind, turn off the heat.

Salt the boiling water to your taste ( → the pasta will adopt the salt-level of the water). Throw in the linguine, stirring a couple of times to avoid sticking, and cook them till they retain some bite, and strain. Return your sauce to the heat, add your fresh herb and the pasta. Add a nice dash of olive oil and mix while heating.

Serve.

In enjoy this as it is, but if it's too delicate for you, if you prefer more contrast - more excitement – you can finish it with a grating of old cheese, with some freshly ground black pepper, or with a bit of grated bottarga (salted roe). But please: don't throw in all together!