When I Googled “Raw Tomato Sauce” and came across Lynne Rosetto Kasper’s recipe for an easy, no-cook pasta sauce, I thought it might be too good to be true. I love her radio show, and the recipes posted on the website usually work well for me. Still, who would guess that raw tomatoes, a few herbs and a little olive oil could come together to create such a fresh, flavorful sauce for pasta? And in less time than it takes to heat up a jar of sauce on the stove? I didn’t, but I’m glad I gave her recipe a shot. It’s a weeknight winner, especially with fresh, early spring tomatoes from Gundermann Farms and green garlic from Texas Daily Harvest.

For my own version of this dish, I stuck to Lynne’s ingredient list pretty closely and altered the method to fit my busy schedule. Instead of basil, I tossed in a handful of the tops from my green garlic (shallot tops would have been nice, too). And to save time, instead of dicing the tomatoes by hand as she suggests, I gave them a rough chop and tossed the pieces along with all the other ingredients- even the garlic clove- in the food processor.  One minute of whirring later, voilà! Pico de pasta sauce.

To serve, I tossed the raw pasta sauce with two servings of just-cooked spaghetti and grated 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese over the top. The heat from the spaghetti warmed the sauce through and melted the cheese.

I’m not going to lie, the pasta sauce probably would have tasted better if I had basil on hand to use in addition to the green garlic tops. As it was, it was a quick and easy  dinner that dirtied just two prep dishes total. It’s hard to argue with that! I’ll probably add this recipe, or variations of it, to my regular weeknight rotation going into summer. As soon as I find a version that sticks, I’ll share it with you! Until then, here’s Lynne Rosetto Kasper’s recipe.