This flavorful blend can stand alone with pasta or be used as a base for other dishes, such as curries, lasagna, or eggplant parmigiana. This recipe calls for 4 1/2 lbs tomatoes, but you can divide or multiply it, depending on how much you have on hand. It’s relatively simple and makes the kitchen smell so glorious. You have a choice in the end to keep it all whole, mash lightly, puree or put it through a food mill. This sauce also freezes well.
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lbs ripe plum, cherry or paste tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 to 1 cup shallots (or onions), peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 (or more) garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- a few thyme, basil, oregano, and/or rosemary sprigs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup olive, sunflower or canola oil
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place tomatoes, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking dish or roasting pan. Toss all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl, mixing evenly. Spread the aromatic oily mixture across the top of the tomatoes.
- Roast for around an hour, until the vegetables are well softened and begin to brown on the edges.
Shallot/oil mixture poured evenly over orange plum tomatoes
Just out of the oven where they began to caramelize and some moisture evaporated.
Notes
- Shallots contain more natural sugars than onions and this mild, sweetness intensifies when roasted.
- When readying for the oven, another option is tossing all ingredients in a larger bowl to coat evenly with oil, then spreading onto a cookie sheet with the tomatoes cut side up.
- My preferred method is to blend half the mixture to coat the pasta. Afterwards, I toss in the chunks. If you prefer a smooth sauce without skins and seeds, run the mixture through a food mill.