Pasta has to be one of my great comfort dishes, as it’s versatility as a food stuff is almost unrivaled. Pasta comes in many different shapes and sizes and allows you to make a variety of different sauces to accompany these varying shapes.

Marinara is one of my favorite pasta sauces to both make and eat, as it is simple in ingredients, simple in flavor and simple to make. With a few garden fresh ingredients (in season) or a can or two of Italian pear tomatoes, some garlic, extra virgin olive oil and herbs your well on your way to enjoying this sauce for yourself!

I developed this recipe to take advantage (if you can call it that) of off-season, or hot house tomatoes. These tomatoes are very light in color and are lacking in flavor, but by roasting them you not only concentrate their flavors, but also add a bit of smokiness to this sauce. By using a base of imported Italian tomatoes, you can keep a level of consistency that is only achievable during the height of the tomato season. Served plain over Fettuccine pasta (above) or with the addition of some Smoked Chicken with Penne Rigate and you have a great, time saving dish that will make even the most finicky of eaters happy.

This recipe is only available on the blog and will not be posted on the web site for 2008. For a printable word doc of this recipe please follow the following link, Roasted tomato marinara sauce recipe.

Roasted Tomato Marinara sauce

Ingredients:

2 28 oz cans whole Italian tomatoes
3 to 5 whole fresh tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onions
1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
4 basil leaves, chopped
pinch of red chile flakes (opt)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil (to finish the sauce with)

Instructions:

1. Char the fresh tomatoes over an open flame, BBQ or broiler until the skin is charred black. Remove and reserve.
2. Place the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pot and heat over a medium flame.
3. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 2 minutes,
4. Add the tomatoes (both canned and charred) and the herbs, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally will reduce your chance of burning this sauce.
5. Puree the sauce in a food processor or blender and return to the pan. Continue to cook, if necessary to reach the proper consistency has been reached. Some like a thinner sauce while I like a thick sauce, like the photo on the web page.
6. When the sauce is thick or as thin as you like it, remove from the heat & season with the salt and pepper.
7. Now is the time to finish this sauce with the ¼ cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil). Slowly stir in the oil (adjusting the oil level for your taste and/or dietary needs), check the seasoning again and serve over warm pasta.

Cheers!

chefRob