Enjoy the bounty of your summer garden (or tomato sale at the grocery!) with this simple and flavorful Roasted Grape Tomato Pasta Sauce!
Ingredients:
2 pints grape tomatoes, rinsed (dry with paper towels) – Note: you CAN use cherry tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes, just slice the Romas in half before cooking.
3-4 large whole cloves fresh garlic, peeled
4 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2-3 Tbs. fresh sweet basil, rinsed & dried with paper towel, then rough chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth (or 1/4 cup white wine with 1/2 cup chicken broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: For spicy flavor, add 1/4 t. red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet (preferably a jelly roll pan that has low sides) with tin foil.
In a large bowl, place tomatoes, garlic cloves and 2 Tbs olive oil. Mix so ingredients are covered with olive oil. Turn out mixture on to the baking sheet. Place on center rack in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until roasted (I like to get a slightly charred look on the skin, but don’t over cook/dry out the tomatoes!).
While the tomatoes & garlic are cooking, cook the onions in the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large pan. Set aside.
Once tomatoes and garlic are done, remove from oven and place into at food processor or powerful blender. Blend for a couple of pulses, until it is a rough/chunky look (and the garlic is chopped!). Pour blended mixture into pan with onions.
Cook the tomato/garlic/onion mixture for 15-20 minutes. In last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. (if including optional pepper flakes, add them at this time.) Makes a chunky, thick sauce that is light – not your regular, bottled sauce!
Serve over favorite pasta with fresh parmesan cheese!