Pasta with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and Parmesan

The recipe Sunday was pasta with slow-roasted tomatoes from a Cookie and Kate post. Halved Roma tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, salt, and crushed garlic, roasted at 300 for two hours until they collapse and concentrate. Tossed with cooked pasta, the pan oil, fresh basil, parmesan.

The math: a pound of Romas $1.99, pasta $0.89, garlic, olive oil, basil, parmesan. Total: about $4.40 for three meals.

The technique is the slow roast at low heat. The tomatoes do not break down the way fresh-cooked sauce does; they concentrate, like a tomato confit. Each bite has the intensity of a tomato that has been thinking about being a sauce for two hours.

The recipe is below. The trick is the 300-degree slow roast.

Pasta with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic & Parmesan

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs cherry or Roma tomatoes, halved
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 12 oz spaghetti or linguine
• 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, reserved
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Instructions

1. Roast the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 300°F. Arrange tomato halves cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Nestle garlic cloves among the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp salt, and black pepper. Roast for 45–50 minutes until tomatoes are shriveled, jammy, and beginning to caramelize at the edges.
2. Cook the pasta. About 15 minutes before tomatoes finish, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, ladle out 1/2 cup pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta.
3. Build the sauce. Transfer the roasted tomatoes and garlic (with all their oil and juices) to the empty pasta pot over medium-low heat. Use the back of a spoon to gently crush the garlic and some of the tomatoes into a rough sauce. Pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine.
4. Combine and finish. Add the drained pasta directly to the pot and toss to coat. Add Parmesan a handful at a time, tossing after each addition and adding more pasta water as needed to keep the sauce silky and loose. Taste and adjust salt.
5. Serve. Divide among bowls, top with torn basil, an extra drizzle of olive oil, and a generous shower of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 73g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 620mg