Roasted Tomatoes Summer Pasta

It’s the beginning of August. Ripe tomatoes in countless varieties. The long sunny days, have shaped their flavour to near perfection. A splash of good olive oil, a touch of garlic and so - our story begins. Preheat the oven …

The recipe

Roasting the tomatoes and the garlic

Preheat the oven to 200C with ventilation.

Peel the garlic cloves and quarter the tomatoes. ( If you use cherry tomatoes no need to cut them.)

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes and the garlic with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Spread everything out on a baking tray, on baking paper.

Roast for 20 - 25 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and lightly charred.

Cooking the pasta

While the tomatoes are in the oven, bring a pot of water to a boil.

Cook the pasta following package instructions.

Before draining, reserve about 100 ml of the pasta water.

Drain the pasta and transfer it into a large bowl.

Back to the tomatoes …

Let the roasted tomatoes and garlic cool for a few minutes.

Transfer the to a blender along with the juices.

Add 3-4 leaves of fresh basil, one tablespoon of olive oil and about 50 ml of pasta water.

Blend at medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.

The result is a light, aromatic summer sauce.

Assembling the dish

In a large bowl, combine the boiled pasta, blended sauce and a pinch of salt.

Gently toss to coat the pasta evenly.

Plate the pasta and finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.

NGREDIENTS - for two portions

Organic or “Best you can get” !

• Dried pasta - 250 grams

• Ripe Tomatoes - 300 grams

• Garlic - 4-5 cloves

• Parmesan cheese - 25 grams (optional)

• Good quality extra virgin olive oil - 15 ml

• A pinch of salt (or more to taste)

• Fresh Basil - 3-4 leaves