In this Pasta Pomodoro with Shrimp we are using both, and tossing them with quickly cooked fresh tomatoes (that’s the “pomodoro” part), garlic, and basil. You could use canned tomatoes, but if tomatoes are in season, and they are ripe and juicy, you can use them with hardly any extra time. September is peak tomato season here in Sacramento, even more than August. Our tomatoes are all ripening at once, catching the last rays of sunshine before we slip into fall. They’re sweet and ripe, perfect for using for a quick pasta dish like this one. Fresh tomatoes do require peeling which you can easily accomplish by scoring them and blanching them in boiling water. Our trick for saving time? Since you’re already boiling water for the pasta, you can use that water for a minute to blanch the tomatoes, before cooking the pasta. Core the tomatoes and use a sharp knife to cut a small X into the bottom end of each tomato. When the water is boiling, use a slotted spoon to lower the tomatoes into the water. Blanch for no more than one minute, just enough to loosen the skins. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl of icy water, saving the blanching water. Peel off the tomato skins from the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes crosswise in half, and squeeze out most of the seeds and juices. Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Serve immediately or at room temp.
