Challenge Day 27: This Will Make Your Tummy Happy

I’ve been making this meal for probably about ten years now, and it’s my favourite.  It also happens to be the favourite of everyone I make it for.  I have impressed many a dinner guest with this one.

I don’t exactly have a recipe, but this is how I make it:

Start with a bunch of tomatoes, preferably from your own garden.  I usually use grape and cherry tomatoes cut in half, but we also grew roma tomatoes this year so I quartered a few of those too and they worked just as well.

You may have to pick more tomatoes than you need if your helper is anything like mine.

Put all of your cut up tomatoes in an oven-friendly dish and drizzle with some olive oil.  Be generous with the oil.  I give it a few good glugs to make sure all the tomatoes and the base of the dish are coated thoroughly.  Sprinkle it with some sea salt and some pepper and it’s ready to be popped into a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees.

After about forty minutes at this temperature, turn the oven up to 400 degrees for another twenty minutes, start boiling your pasta (I like to use linguine with this recipe), grate a hunk of parmesan cheese and chop your fresh basil (also preferably from your garden).  Your roasted tomatoes should come out of the oven looking dark, smelling delightful and sizzling.

Rather than draining it first, I take the pasta right from the boiling water with tongs and add it to the dish with the tomatoes.  You might need some of the water from the pasta later and I just find this way easier than trying to save some.  Mix the noodles up with the tomatoes, then add in your parmesan and basil.  It might turn into a cheesy mess so this is when you will want to add a little of the water from the pasta. 

And voila!  So, so good.  We normally barbeque some chicken breast to serve with this pasta dish and holy crap, it’s the best dinner ever.  Enjoy!