Penne with Uncooked Tomato Sauce

Penne with Uncooked Tomato Sauce
from "Modern Italian Cooking" by Biba Caggiano

1 1/2 pounds juicy ripe tomatoes
12-15 basil leaves, shredded into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbs rinsed and dried capers
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshy grated pecorino, or 2-3 ounces mozzarella diced (I like the mozzarella)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper

1 lb penne

Peel, seed & dice tomatoes.** Put the tomatoes in a colander to drain off the excess juices. Put the drained tomatoes in a large bowl that can later fit the pasta. Add all the other ingredients and season lightly with salt & pepper. Cover bowl & leave at room temperature for 2 hours.

Cook the penne until pasta is tender. Drain the pasta well and add it to the sauce in the bowl. Mix well and serve at once.

**I puree whole ones in a food mill which sort of removes the seeds & skins. I've also pureed whole high-quality canned ones, but I also think you could just skip the peeling & seeding of fresh ones. Both ways I've done it have been delicious.

To peel tomatoes, stick them in boiling water until skin splits, no more than 2 minutes, transfer to cold water to cool & then peel them.