The Season’s Last Tomatoes
raided from the veg patch
There’s no denying it, it’s properly September now. And whilst I still stubbornly cling to the ever-waning prospect of a proper Indian summer, a little voice at the back of my head is telling me to get real: autumn is on the horizon.
That said, I often forget what an incredible month for produce September is. It's the month to get excited about apple and blackberry crumble; to savour the joyous colours of late summer cosmos, anemones, and dahlias; to enjoy the last of the stone fruits and tomatoes; and to embrace the crisp, gold-tinted side of autumn. There’s a wonderful sense of a fresh start in September, no doubt ingrained in me from years of British education and the beginning of the autumn term. It’s one of my favourite months.
I spent this weekend in Norfolk, where despite crisp temperatures we were blessed with remarkably clear skies and plenty of golden, early-autumn sun. For me, this meant getting over-excited about Oscar’s parents’ garden, overflowing in edible spoils. I gathered apples and baked tarte tatin; I foraged blackberries and made a crumble for Sunday lunch; I raided the vegetable patch and cooked a juicy tomato and herb pasta; I even found some sea sandwort up on the beach and cooked it down with butter and fresh prawns. I imagine to any sane onlooker I would probably have looked like a deranged human embodiment of Peter Rabbit, dashing between the veg patch and the kitchen with my loot: it was heaven.
As with most of my cooking, the recipe that I’m about to share is the result of what I was feeling like at the time (and, in this case, what I could find in the garden). Measurements are only approximate, based on my life motto of cooking ad occhio (’by eye’), so if 40g of parmesan or 1 tsp of chilli doesn’t feel like enough, please go crazy and add some more (to be honest, I probably got a bit carried away and did the same).
Find yourself a patch of autumn sun somewhere and enjoy with an ice-cold Birra Moretti. The more saucy slurping the better.
Fresh Tomato, Butter and Garden Herb Pasta
serves 2
50g butter
2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
8-10 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tsp dried fennel flowers (or seeds), crushed
1 tsp chilli flakes
400g cherry tomatoes
40g parmesan, grated
200g tagliatelle
1 burrata
Extra virgin olive oil, to finish
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large frying pan, melt half the butter on medium heat before adding the chopped herbs and chilli flakes. Fry for a minute, stirring frequently; it should start to smell lovely and aromatic. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a further two minutes, until just starting to colour. Add the cherry tomatoes, followed by a large pinch of salt, and cook down for a few minutes to soften.
Meanwhile, set a large pot of well-salted water to boil, and cook the tagliatelle for 2 minutes less than advised by package instructions.
Once the tomatoes have softened slightly, use the back of a wooden spoon to gently crush them, releasing all their lovely juices.
Just before the tagliatelle is cooked, add the remaining butter to the tomato pan, followed by the grated parmesan, and stir through to melt.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the tomato pan, along with 3-4 tablespoons of the starchy pasta water and stir to coat the pasta with the sauce, cooking for a further minute or so until it all comes together in a lovely, juicy mess.
To finish, top with a roughly-torn burrata, a generous glug of olive oil and a crack of black pepper.
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛and please do share the love using the link below.