A versatile and easy oven-roasted tomato sauce. This flavorful sauce is fantastic tossed with pasta, spread on sandwiches, or served with crusty bread.
I’ll get to the roasted tomato sauce in a minute, but first: starting college this past August changed my routine completely. My day now begins at 3:45 a.m. when my alarm jolts me awake. Like a zombie, I reach out, hit snooze and beg for a few more minutes of sleep. A moment later the alarm sounds again; I turn it off, open my eyes and lie in the dark a few breaths longer before forcing myself out of bed to get ready for the day.
I fumble through the dark for a towel and clothes, find the slippers at the foot of the bed and switch on the light, then head to the bathroom. On the way to the kitchen my two cats greet me with a cheerful “meow” and my mother calls a warm “Hi, sweetie.”
After getting ready, having a morning cup of tea and a bite to eat (usually a bagel), the day moves quickly. Two-hour lectures can feel like twenty minutes, and before I know it my last class ends. I weave through the campus crowds to catch the bus to the train. On the fifty-minute bus ride my stomach growls and I find myself thinking about dinner.
While waiting for the train I often flip through my recipe journal. When a recipe stands out I decide that will be dinner — which is how this roasted tomato sauce came to be.
College life now feels like a cycle of waking, commuting and planning what to cook in the evening. Mondays are especially nice because I can stop by the farmers’ market after class and pick up fresh produce to inspire dinner.
A few weeks ago I returned from the farmers’ market with a bounty of cherry tomatoes and cipollini onions. That night I roasted the produce and tossed it with spaghetti and a generous shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The roasted tomatoes and caramelized onions were so flavorful that I realized they would make a wonderful sauce — or even a tomato pesto.
I blended the roasted tomatoes and onions, adjusted salt and pepper, and warmed the mixture in a saucepan. A splash of reserved pasta water and a pat of butter made the sauce silky. I spooned it over a bowl of hot spaghetti and called it dinner.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
This recipe can be served as a roasted tomato sauce or a tomato pesto. It’s lovely over a mound of pasta or spread on a sandwich with mozzarella and basil. To make a creamier, cheesy sauce, add up to ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano when blending, then thin with pasta water and finish with a pat of butter. For sandwiches, omit the pasta water and add fresh herbs. This sauce is very versatile — enjoy!
15 minutes
40 minutes
10 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs cherry tomatoes (washed, dried, and halved)
- ½ lb cipollini onions (about 6 onions)
- Salt & pepper
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup reserved pasta water (optional, if serving with pasta)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the cipollini onions for about 20 seconds, then transfer them to an ice bath. Slip off the outer layers using a paring knife and cut the onions into quarters.
Toss the onions with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and arrange them on one parchment-lined sheet. Arrange the halved tomatoes, cut side up, on the second sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Roast for 30–40 minutes, until the tomatoes wrinkle at the edges and the onions are browned and caramelized.
Transfer the roasted tomatoes and onions to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, about 10 seconds. Warm the mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in pasta water to reach your desired consistency (about ⅔ cup is a good starting point). Swirl in the butter, taste and adjust salt and pepper, then spoon over pasta or use as desired. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8 Servings
Serving Size:
1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 48Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g