Rotelle with Provencal Tomato Sauce

A raw Provençal sauce that marinates while the pasta boils. Ripe tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, capers, garlic, fresh thyme, and slivered basil sit together for 15 minutes, then get tossed with hot rotelle. The heat of the pasta warms the sauce just enough to release the flavors without cooking anything.

Every ingredient in this sauce is a Provençal staple: tomatoes, olive oil, olives, capers, garlic, basil, thyme. Together they create a sauce that tastes like the South of France on a summer evening. The balsamic vinegar ties everything together with a sweet-tart depth.

Rotelle (wagon wheel pasta) is the right shape here. The spokes and curves of each wheel catch the chunky sauce, trapping diced tomato, olive pieces, and capers in every bite. Penne or fusilli work as substitutes.

Optional anchovy fillets dissolved into the sauce add a salty, savory umami that makes the tomato flavor pop without tasting fishy. Try them before skipping them.

Chef Tips

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find. This sauce is raw, and flavorless tomatoes make a flavorless dish.
• Toss the hot, drained pasta with the room-temperature sauce immediately. The heat blooms the garlic and basil.
• Don’t cook this sauce. The freshness is the whole point.
• A drizzle of extra olive oil at the table adds richness.

Variations

• With mozzarella: Toss in cubed fresh mozzarella with the hot pasta. It softens into stretchy, creamy bites.
• Tuna Provençal: Add a drained can of Italian tuna packed in olive oil for a Niçoise-inspired pasta.
• Spicy version: Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the marinade for gentle heat.