Recipe: Spaghetti with Salsa Cruda - Article: Celebrate Summer Tomatoes

CELEBRATE SUMMER TOMATOES
Source: the American Institute for Cancer Research

An uncooked tomato sauce is a quick solution to the problem of what to do with all those plentiful summer tomatoes.

Salsa cruda, or raw sauce, is 'cooked' by the heat from mixing it with the hot pasta. The heat also brings out the rich flavors of the ingredients in the sauce.

The sauce starts with lush, ripe tomatoes. If the tomatoes have no flavor, the sauce will have no flavor. Any type of fresh tomato works fine. Putting basil and tomatoes together is always a good idea. Red onion, parsley, a little olive oil, and salt and pepper are the only other ingredients you'll need.

You can vary the ingredients for salsa cruda as you can for most pasta sauces. Add chopped olives, capers, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes or other ingredients for different tastes.

Don't limit salsa cruda to pasta. It goes well with grilled, broiled, or baked fish such as salmon, swordfish, or halibut. Put it on slices of grilled or toasted garlic bread to make bruschetta. Add crumbled feta cheese or diced mozzarella to the sauce and sprinkle it over a salad.

Fresh summer tomatoes are high in health benefits as well as flavor. Lycopene, the substance that gives tomatoes and other red or pink fruit their characteristic color, is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes molecules that would otherwise react with and damage cells. Lycopene seems to reduce growth of prostate cancer cells, for example.

Serving salsa cruda with whole-grain pasta further enhances the health benefits of the meal.

New research reported by the American Institute for Cancer Research shows that whole grains have powerful antioxidants and cancer-fighting agents that went undocumented for years. Whole grains, the study found, exhibit a level of anti-cancer activity that is equal to, and sometimes greater than, the level known to occur in produce.

A whole grain has three parts: endosperm, bran and germ. When wheat - or any grain - is refined, the bran and germ - which contains most of the nutrients and fiber - are removed.

A summer salsa cruda is a good way to get great nutrition as well as great taste.

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SPAGHETTI WITH SALSA CRUDA

1 1/4 lb. ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 4 cups)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat parsley
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh basil
3/4 lb. whole-grain spaghetti
Freshly ground pepper

In a glass, ceramic, or plastic bowl, combine the tomatoes with the salt, onion and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Drain the spaghetti and turn it into a large, warm serving bowl. Toss the pasta with the remaining tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking together.

Mix the parsley and basil into the tomatoes. Season generously with pepper. Pour the salsa cruda over the warm pasta. Toss the entire mixture to blend well. Serve immediately.

Makes 5 servings
Per serving: 325 calories, 9 g. total fat (1 g. saturated fat), 54 g. carbohydrate, 11 g. protein, 10 g. dietary fiber, 478 mg. sodium.