Raw Tomato Puttanesca Pasta Salad

Adapted from Anything’s Pastable, by Dan Pashman

1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1½ pounds ripe but firm tomatoes (heirloom, early girl, or slicer)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1½ tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste (also called bomba sauce, or substitute your preferred chili paste)
1 garlic clove, finely grated
⅔ - 1 cup pitted green olives, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons drained capers
8 ounces (1¾ cups) small pasta (recommended: ditalini, a.k.a. tubetti; or use other small pasta like orecchiette)
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus small leaves for serving

Bring 2 ½ quarts of water and the salt to a boil in a large saucepan. 

Core your tomatoes. Use a small paring knife to cut out the tough, cone-shaped core until all the hard, whitish flesh is gone. If your tomatoes have tough brown spots, cut them out too. You want ripe but firm tomatoes for this recipe— the super- ripe, super- soft ones aren’t ideal for grating.

 Place a box grater in a large bowl and use the large holes to shred the cut side of the tomato until the flesh has all been grated off the skin; discard the skins. Add the oil, fish sauce, chili paste, and garlic to the tomatoes and whisk until the oil is evenly incorporated. Stir in the olives and capers and let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 3 hours.

Add the pasta to the boiling water (remember, it’s only half a standard package!) and cook until just al dente (the low end of the package instructions). Drain, shaking off the excess water, and immediately transfer to the bowl with the tomato mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in the basil, then taste and add salt if necessary.

Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls, drizzle with more oil, sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve. Eat it with a spoon!