Alma Barak

This is one of Barak’s favorite recipes.

This rich, creamy sauce is the perfect mix of cheesy and delicious, so sumptuous that even my severely underweight sibling took thirds. As someone who is not a proficient cook, this was an easy and rewarding dish to make that left my family in awe (my previous attempt at dinner resulted in a kitchen fire, so the bar was low, but still). This dish is a perfect twist on my favorite classic pink sauce pasta, and when paired with Trader Joe’s Fusilli Corti Bucati, the result is divine.

INGREDIENTS (TOMATO SAUCE)

5 pounds tomatoes

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 garlic clove, halved

1 basil sprig

1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS (TOMATO SAUCE)

1. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and press the cut side of the tomato against a box grater and grate tomato flesh into a bowl until you have 4 cups of tomato juice
2. Put tomato pulp in a low wide saucepan over high heat. Add salt, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, basil, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes until the sauce is medium-thick.

INGREDIENTS (CHEESY PINK SAUCE)

½ pounds pasta

3 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup tomato sauce (recipe above)

¾ cup heavy cream

Salt to taste

½ cup cheddar

½ cup mozzarella

½ cup parmesan

Basil to taste

INSTRUCTIONS (CHEESY PINK SAUCE)

1. Cook ½ lb pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before straining.
2. Add 3 tbsp of butter and a dash of olive oil to a pan on medium heat.
3. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add 3 tbsp of tomato paste & mix. Cook until it turns a dark red then add 1 cup of tomato sauce.
5. Once simmering, add ¾ cup of heavy cream. Mix and bring back to a simmer.
6. Season with salt and whatever else you’d prefer.
7. Add ½ cup cheddar, ½ cup mozzarella, and ½ cup parmesan with a handful of fresh basil (I just used a whole bunch of cheddar).
8. Mix the sauce, then add your cooked pasta and a dash of pasta water.
9. Let it all cook together, then top with more parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!

This article also appears in our June 2024 edition.