Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato Sauce

This roasted tomato sauce is a perfect homage to the end of summer and a tasty spin on a traditional tomato sauce. Some years the garden produces next to nothing, other years you have so many tomatoes, you don’t know what to do with them! This year, my mom is inundated, and while she has been processing most of them at her house, she still brings me a bag a week. My favorite way to enjoy fresh tomatoes is to simply slice, season and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, but if I do anything beyond that, I roast them.

In this recipe, I slice the tomatoes in half, lay them cut side down on a baking sheet and roast them until they bubble and blister, releasing their juices which results in an intensely fragrant, sweet and concentrated flavor. Before I blitz them in the food processor, I add a bunch of fresh basil to brighten the sauce and then it’s ready to use, simple as that. If you prefer to store the sauce, it can be kept in a freezer friendly container container for up to four months.

To begin, heat the oven to 400°F. Then, cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Add the sliced onion, garlic cloves, oregano, salt and pepper.

Drizzle with olive oil, toss gently and arrange the tomatoes so the cut side is facing down. Then, put the sheet pan in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the tomato skins have loosened.

Allow the tomatoes to cool for about ten minutes and then, pull the skins off. They should come off very easily. Then, put the roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic into a food processor (leaving the liquid behind) along with the basil leaves and blitz. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Top with freshly torn basil leaves, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano-Reggiano and enjoy!