I know that conventional wisodm says that you shouldn’t cook a perfectly ripe tomato, but I couldn’t resist. I wanted to make a light, simple pasta dish for lunch, and I had some perfectly ripe roma tomatoes from the market, and this is what I came up with.

While the pasta boils, saute some thinly sliced onions and chiles with some salt and pepper in olive oil. Whent hey are nice and soft, add some fresh tomatoes, chopped into pieces abut an inch long. Add some salt to help them break down, and reduce the heat to low. When the tomatoes are warmed through, turn up the heat, add some fresh oregano and the juice of one lemon. As the lemon juice evaporates, add some of the pasta cooking water and reduce the heat again. Add a little bit of butter to up the savoriness of the dish.

When the pasta is just about cooked drain it and add it to the tomatoes. Cook for another minute together, add a little more olive oil, and serve. Garnish with some more fresh oregano. The lemon juice disappears while enhancing the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes, and the butter helps the sauce to coat the pasta nicely. Simple and delicious.

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