grated tomato spaghetti “carbonara”

a summery, tomato forward take on the italian classic

it is again the time of year when, try as you might, you simply can’t escape the digital deluge that is tomato content. i’m here for it in every way, curious to see what new, or just new to me, takes are on offer while being simultaneously aware that at least 90% of my summer tomato eating will be spent slurping up sugared or salted slices over the kitchen sink. i partake in my fair share of summer blts and tomato sandwiches of course, i’m only human, but there really is an undeniably joyful simplicity in letting a perfect tomato shine on its own.

beauties looking straight plucked out of a 17th century still life

all that being said, this year i must consider myself “influenced” as the glut of grated tomato recipes (see prime examples one, two, three, four and, of course, the og, five) really did me in. after various tests and tweaks on different takes of grated tomato dishes (including a grated tomato and watermelon udon that wasn’t too shabby if i do say so myself), i finally landed on this really delicious and fun, carbonara-ish twist that’s spicy, creamy and endless-summer-dreamy.

i wanted the focus of this spaghetti to be the freshness of the tomato with foils of added heat and richness, so taking a page from the carbonara book made a lot of sense. whisking the grated yellow heirloom with an egg yolk and cheese before tossing through chili (and garlic and black pepper) oil slicked spaghetti makes for a thick and glossy sauce that clings easily to the pasta, and the tomato vibrancy makes itself known in every bite. i’ve made it with and without adding fresh basil, with both parmesan and pecorino cheese, juicy yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, and i feel comfortable saying no matter which path you go down with this recipe, you can’t lose.

a few ideas to switch it up even more: enhance the tomato flavor further by adding halved cherry tomatoes or some diced heirlooms to the garlic and chili oil. you can swap in calabrian chili paste instead of chili flakes. i decided to leave out any cured meat here in an effort to keep the flavor focused more on the tomato, but i think crisp, salty bits of guanciale, pancetta, bacon or even spicy threads of ‘nduja could be really a delicious addition.

i also want to make a note that heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes tend to be quite expensive, so you can save the nice big middle slices for something where those will really shine and save a few thick butt ends for this dish. i even found a market stall that was selling some slightly bruised, overripe tomatoes just about bursting out of their skins for a slightly less than their regular price. this is the perfect place to use up those that need to be eaten asap, where bruises or soft bumps just don’t matter.

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this time last year:

smashed pork dumpling tacos

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grated tomato spaghetti “carbonara”

serves 2

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for garnish

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 - 2 teaspoons chili flakes (more = spicier; substitute: calabrian chili paste)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (i set my pepper mill to a coarser grind for this recipe; if you can’t do that and your grind will be pretty fine, add the pepper to the grated tomato and egg yolk mixture instead of to the butter and oil)

1 clove garlic

salt

250 grams dried spaghetti

200 - 250 grams fresh, juicy tomato (more = saucier; i prefer a yellow beefsteak tomato here to keep the color nice and sunny, this is about 1 medium or 1/2 a large)

1 large egg yolk, room-ish temperature

30 grams finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (substitute: pecorino romano cheese)

small handful of fresh basil leaves (optional)

flaky salt

1. set a large pot of water over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. add olive oil and butter a large frying pan over medium heat. once the butter is melted, add the chili flakes and black pepper and finely grate the garlic into the pan with a microplane; if you don’t have a microplane, just use minced or thinly sliced garlic instead. let fry gently until the garlic is just starting to turn light golden and the oil has a reddish tinge from the chili flakes. turn off the heat and let sit in the pan.

2. once the water is boiling, season generously with salt and add the spaghetti. while the spaghetti is cooking, halve the tomato through the middle and use a box grater to grate it (cut-side down) into the bowl until just the skin is left. discard the skin, or set aside and make salt with it. add the egg yolk, parmesan cheese and a little pinch of salt to the bowl and mix to combine.

3. once the spaghetti is close to al dente (about 1 minute shy, the best way to know is to just try a strand), transfer to the frying pan with the garlic and chili oil and toss through to combine; i love tongs for all things spaghetti, but you can also use the slightly unwieldy pasta spoon / pasta ladle. add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the grated tomato and egg yolk mixture and stir well, then add to the frying pan with the pasta. toss and stir vigorously to distribute the mixture throughout the pasta and create a creamy, slightly thickened sauce; see my latest reel for a visual on this, it should be starting to look like carbonara now.

4. once the sauce is very glossy and clinging all of the now perfectly al dente spaghetti, toss in a handful of fresh basil leaves (if using) and stir through. plate up and finish with more black pepper, parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of flaky salt. enjoy immediately.