Lone Willow Ranch has created a line of biodynamic homegrown pastas from two of its heirloom organic wheats, the one which I am using in this recipe is their Soft Spring Sonora Wheat pasta which works well with a mild tomato sauce. Adding a few wedges of burrata, which is basically cream wrapped in mozzarella, compliments the soft wheat pasta with my late summer heirloom tomato sauce. My recipe is rather large so when I have access to lots of late season heirloom tomatoes I make a large tomato sauce, use what I need for the recipe and freeze the remaining* for soups, sauces and ragu's.
Ingredients :
8 lbs of diced local organic Heirloom tomatoes (roughly1/2 inch dice)
4lbs of Organic sweet onions (thinly sliced )
1/2 cup of Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
5 cloves of thinly sliced organic garlic
1 tablespoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon organic dried chili flakes
1 cup of picked organic basil (keep the stems for the sauce)
Fresh organic Burrata (3oz per serving)
Use a large heavy based pot to make your sauce. Warm 1/2 cup of the EVOO in the base of your pot, sweat sweet onions, chili flakes and sea salt at medium to low heat until translucent, about 10 mins.
Add garlic and basil stems and continue to cook for a further 15 mins at medium to low heat.
Add all chopped tomatoes, bring sauce to boil, reduce heat and simmer sauce for 1 hour 45 mins. ( Stir the sauce every 10/15 mins or every time you pass to ensure it is not sticking, if it starts sticking to the base reduce the heat. The sauce should be reduced by 1/3.
After the sauce has reduced, remove from the heat and blend in a food processor or blender in small batches, add some fresh picked basil to the tomatoes before you blend (keep a little basil for garnishing dish)
After sauce has been blended, adjust seasoning to suit your taste. Add a little sugar if the sauce is to tart, add a little more salt if the sauce is very bland.
Cook the pasta in seasoned water, strain and return to the pot. Add enough tomato sauce to coat the pasta and serve.
Top with Burrata that you have cut in half, chopped fresh basil and a generous drizzle of EVOO. I also grilled some old bread in EVOO and crumbled over the pasta and cheese, this adds great texture and to the dish
* Wait until the sauce is fully cooled before freezing. Fill a quart sized zip lock bag half way and flatten on counter top to get all air out of the bag, seal it, label and date it and freeze for up to 4 months. Freeze laying flat, this makes it easier to store and quicker to defrost!.