Thursday, September 11, 2008

Food For Thought Thursdays: Roasted Tomato, Onion and Garlic Marinara

I'm in the mood for pasta and a noodle is nothing without a great sauce. Delizioso!

Roasted Tomato Marinara
5-6 tomatoes (fresh from the garden if you can)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced into chunks
5-6 cloves of garlic
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper (or more)
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Clean tomatoes, remove stem, then gently cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add the tomatoes and boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove from water and put into an ice bath. Once the tomatoes have cooled, gently peel off the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Sprinkle the onion chunks around the tomatoes. Place the garlic cloves inside the tomato halves. This protects the garlic from burning and infuses the tomato with the roasted garlic flavor (YUM). Sprinkle the herbs and seasonings all over along with the sea salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the tomatoes, onions and garlic are tender, sweet and juicy. Be careful not to over cook them because the tomatoes will dry up.

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Dried basil, to taste
Dried oregano, to taste
4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti (or whatever pasta you desire), cooked per instructions
Place the tomatoes in a large Dutch Oven along with a can of crushed tomatoes and puree with an immersion blender. Taste and re-season with sugar (if desired), basil, oregano, salt or pepper, if needed. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2-4 hours. Add fresh basil and parsley then serve. Top with Parmesan cheese and more basil. Enjoy!
*recipe and photos courtesy of For The Love of Cooking


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