Summer Sauce for pasta

This is the only one of three recipes from this fortnight's Cooks Club Challenge that I'll be doing. The others are Pork in Caper sauce and Rice balls. I don't like capers, and DP doesn't eat rice. I've always wanted to try the rice balls stuffed with mozzarella, but it seems like a lot of work, especially when I have to cook a seperate meal for DP on top of it, so that won't be happening this time around. However, this make ahead pasta sauce is perfect for the hot days we've been having lately.

Summer Sauce (taken from the Taste.com.au forums)

The key to this lovely fresh sauce is really ripe tomatoes – vine ripened are best, or better still home grown.

Ingredients
500g firm ripe tomatoes
1 onion (I use a red onion)
6 green olives
1 Tablespoon capers
½ teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (I like to use a combination of parsley & fresh basil)
2 cloves of garlic
½ cup good quality olive oil – you can use light or extra virgin it’s up to you, I prefer extra virgin
Fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Chop unpeeled tomatoes finely; peel and chop onion; stone and chop olives; chop capers finely, crush garlic. Combine ingredients, add herbs and olive oil and mix well. Grind in some pepper and splash with balsamic (if using) Cover and stand for at least 6 hours or overnight. I made mine the night before and put in fridge, but returned to room temp 2 hours before serving.

Toss through hot pasta (I like fettuccini) and top with shaved parmesan cheese.

I skipped the olives and capers, and used a mixture of basil and parsley as suggested. Instead of the oregano and 1/3 cup regular olive oil, I used 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil infused with rosemary. I served with spaghetti, but no parmesan.