Pam's Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Peaches

AUTHOR NOTES

Let me tell you about Pam Mazzola. Pam is undoubtedly one of the best chefs in the Bay Area, but you wouldn't know it, because she is so incredibly humble, and instead of bragging on social media, she's running a business, raising a family, and helping her friends. Pam is the chef and co-owner of the renowned San Francisco restaurant Prospect, and she's co-author of Boulevard: The Cookbook. She's also one of the most selfless, caring friends I've ever had. Pam's pasta has tomatoes AND peaches! Some of the peaches get tossed into the sauce, but don't forget to save the rest for garnish. I'm not sure why more recipes don't combine peaches and tomatoes. Once you try it, you won't know either.

INGREDIENTS

2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

12 ounces spicy Italian sausage, casing removed, crumbled

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 cups dry white wine

Kosher salt

1 pound torchio pasta

1/4 peaches (ripe but not soft), sliced into 1/3-inch wedges, leaving the skin on

Dried red chili flakes (optional)

Freshly grated Manchego cheese for serving

DIRECTIONS

Makes 4-6 servings

Strain the cans of tomatoes in a colander over a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the juices, and reserve the rest for another use. Gently tear the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the seeds into the colander. Press out any remaining juice, setting aside for later, and chop the tomatoes.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium hear. Add the onions and gently cool until soft and beginning to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Increase the hear to medium-high and add the broken-up sausage, stirring to break it up further. Cool for about 8 minutes, until lightly browned, add garlic and tomato paste, and stir for 1 minute, until caramelized. Add the chopped tomatoes, the reserved cup of tomato juice, and the wine, and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cool for 10 minutes, uncovered, then cover the pan and cook over low heat for an additional 20 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, fill a 6-quart pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, and then add the pasta and stir. Cook until the pasta is slightly firmer than al dente, 1 minute less than it says on the package, and drain.

Add the pasta to the sauce with the basil and two-thirds of the peaches. Toss well and season with salt and dried pepper flakes, if you prefer spicy. Cook for 1 minutes longer, then pour into a serving dish. Place the remaining peaches on top for garnish before serving, along with grated cheese.