Arthur's Heavenly Tomato Sauce

After months of grabbing quick meals, I've been dreaming of getting back into the kitchen and cooking up some of my favorite meals...which usually involve some form of pasta, fresh cheese, and thick, crusty bread.  So this weekend as I finished up my remaining projects for school, I had some free time, so I cooked for some friends.   Eggplant parmegiana, pasta with homemade sauce, a fresh green salad shot through with arugula, fresh crusty ciabatta bread.  Delicioso. 

My friends loved this sauce made from roasted tomatoes.  The taste is unbelievable.   Rich, savory, the flavor just bursts in your mouth.   You might never want to eat bottled again.   Serve it with some thick, crusty Italian bread, a salad, and some wine, and everyone will be happy.  Here's the recipe I adapted from one of my favorite food writers, Arthur Schwartz, who hosted a food radio program on WOR in New York for years.  

Roasted Tomatoes (And Sauce)
Adapted from Arthur Schwartz, The Food Maven
(Makes enough sauce for a pound of spaghetti or macaroni.)

5-6 medium very ripe tomatoes (about 2 lbs.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2-3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup fruity olive oil
8-10 fresh basil leaves shredded or snipped
Kosher or table salt
dried or fresh spaghetti
grated Parmegiana or Asiago cheese

1.  Cut out the tomato cores with a small sharp knife.  Half tomatoes crosswise.  Coat bottom of a baking dish (Pyrex or disposable work well) with about 2 tbsp. of oil.  Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, in a pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Press minced garlic into each half; drizzle with olive oil.  Pour on any remaining oil.

2.  Place tomatoes in a preheated 375-degree oven and cook for 2 hours, basting them two or three times with the oil and the juices that collect in the pan.  When done, the tomatoes will have collapsed and some of the juices will have burned a little.  (This is good.)

3.  Cut tomatoes into small pieces and slide them into a pot.  Scrape burned bits into the pot to amalgamate into the sauce.  Heat as you cook the spaghetti.

4.  Drain the cooked spaghetti.  (I take it off the heat when it's a little al dente because it cooks a little when you add it to the sauce.)  Toss it into the sauce along with some shredded basil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (I also add some dried oregano.)  Don't forget the red pepper flakes for everyone to add at the table if desired.

5.  Serve immediately with grated cheese.

Enjoy!

Note:  This freezes well.  It also stores well if you have leftovers.

If It Comes From Arthur, It Has to Be Good

Here is Arthur Schwartz' recipe for noodle kugel. Who's Arthur Schwartz? The Food Maven, of course, who for years had a wonderful food talk show on WOR Radio in New York. If that weren't enough to make me a fan, he also loves Italy and Italian food and has written a number of Italian cookbooks, which I use religiously. I was thrilled to meet him earlier this year at a conference on exploring our Italian-Jewish roots in Grammercy Park. I had a chance to chat with him and hear him correct speaker on the precise number of seeds in a pomegranate, more proof of his vast knowledge about food.

So, for my Jewish friends and family, have an easy fast and a sweet new year! Here's Arthur's recipe for the Yom Kippur holiday feast. And for those of you who need a visual, here's a photo of noodle kugel from the iconic Katz' Deli in New York.

Katz's Delicatessen - New York, NY
Originally uploaded by The Travelin Man

My Grandmother's Yom Kippur Noodle Pudding

Elise Sonkin, my maternal grandmother, was, as I have said many times on the radio, a very glamorous woman. Despite the appearance she gave of a pampered lady of leisure who never prepared a meal or washed a dish, her cooking was the despair and envy of the neighborhood. Everyone in our circles knew she was the best around. Elise loved doing it and she loved the reputation, knowing full well it was at odds with her appearance and demeanor.

This is the noodle pudding she made to break the fast on Yom Kippur. It is extremely rich, a buttery custard shot through with noodles. It is certainly not the best thing to eat after an entire day of not eating. But we did and still do. We precede this with platters of smoked fish, bagels and other breads, cheeses, egg salad, tuna salad, and whitefish salad, a platter of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers – basically what used to be considered the quintessential New York Jewish Sunday breakfast, the festive family breakfast that my family did indeed indulge in when we all lived together in one house in Brooklyn.

My Grandmother's Noodle Pudding
Makes about 12 luncheon servings


1 pound very wide egg noodles
8 eggs
3 cups sour cream
1 1/2 pounds pot cheese (preferably fresh bulk)
1 1/2 cups melted butter (3 sticks)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a very large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in sour cream, cheese and most of the butter, reserving some butter to grease the baking pan.

Add the cooked and drained noodles, mix, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture in a 10- by 16- by 2-inch baking pan.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until top is lightly browned. Let cool about 10 minutes before cutting.

Serve hot or warm.