Garden Recipes: Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce

Got tomatoes? Looking for a simple, delicious way to use those?  Because we planted somewhat late, we’re at the peak of our tomato harvest, and last night I made my first pasta sauce from scratch from slow-roasted plum tomatoes fresh from the garden. Slow-roasting concentrates the sweet flavor of the tomatoes, transforming them into an entirely different entity.  Find out how, after the jump…This recipe involves two processes, although both are quite simple.  The first is slow roasting the tomatoes.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes (makes enough for six pasta servings–you can easily halve)

eight cups (about four pounds) of cherry, grape, roma, or plum tomatoes.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

five cloves garlic

4 tbsp sugar

salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 225° F.
2. Halve tomatoes lengthwise and spread on two sheet pans, cut side up, along with four unpeeled garlic cloves.
3. In microwave, heat olive oil with one clove smashed garlic for 30 seconds.  Drizzle tomatoes with garlic-infused oil.
4. Sprinkle tomatoes with sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.
5. Roast in over for two hours, until deep red and soft.

Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce

one batch slow-roasted tomatoes, plus garlic cloves from pan, peeled

handful fresh herbs (I used basil & parsley, but oregano or rosemary might be good, too)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

1. Put all ingredients in food processor or blender.  Pulse until rough paste forms.
2. Serve hot pasta.

You can also use the tomatoes as bruschetta topping alone or with your favorite soft cheese.

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