
World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizza Rock in Sacramento
July is a time when fresh garden tomatoes become available at local Farmer’s Markets. Whether they’re “Early Girls” or “Big Boys” or any of the other available varieties, you simply cannot beat a fresh heirloom tomato. When they are available, you should definitely make use of them on your menu in as many ways as possible. Since you want to keep your product consistent all year long, the best way to do this is through seasonal specialty offerings that make your menu pop.
Years ago the late, great Pat Bruno shared one of his favorite summer recipes featuring fresh garden tomatoes. Give it a try.
Fettucine with Fresh Tomatoes and Arugula
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped red onions
8 ripe tomatoes, cored and seeded,
then cut into bite-size pieces
1½ cups torn arugula
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pound fettucine
1 cup grated Parmesan
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes and arugula. Add salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well. Working quickly, add the pasta to the tomato and arugula mixture. Toss to combine. Divide the pasta into serving portions. Top each portion with an equal amount of Parmesan cheese. Serve.
RESPECTING THE CRAFT features World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, owner of Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizza Rock in Sacramento. Tony compiles the column with the help of his trusty assistants, Laura Meyer and Thiago Vasconcelos. If you have questions on any kitchen topic ranging from prep to finish, Tony’s your guy. Send questions via Twitter @PizzaToday, Facebook (search: Pizza Today) or e-mail [email protected] and we’ll pass the best ones on to Tony.