spaghetti with slow roasted tomatoes
September 24, 2015 § 50 Comments
San Marzano tomatoes are the most famous plum tomato to come out of Italy. If you compare these heirloom varietal tomatoes with other plum tomatoes you will find they are slim, thicker fleshed, contain fewer seeds, and the taste is sweeter, less acidic and not overly juicy which which is key for making a nice luxuriant sauce.
We planted this heirloom varietal in our garden this year. We didn’t know what to expect considering the imported canned tomatoes we adore are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base and in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Our climate here in Seattle is mild, and the summer weather this year was particularly tomato friendly. Happily, we are harvesting these wonderfully sweet, sturdy plum tomatoes with little water content; making them perfect for slow roasting, then tossed into a bowl with your favorite pasta. If you would like to forego the pasta these are lovely as is, straight from the oven to table.
With the changing of the season, now is a perfect time of year to turn on your oven, set at 225°F (107°C), place a dozen or so fresh halved Roma tomatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and roast for a good 2 -4 hours. If you would like to add several unpeeled cloves of garlic and fresh herbs, as pictured above with sage leaves, you will be pleased when your kitchen is filled with a delightful aroma. These are unbelievably delicious. Last week I finished a whole sheet of them in one sitting, by myself!
- 10 -12 Roma tomatoes
- drizzle of olive oil
- salt & pepper
- fresh herbs (optional)
- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, unpeeled (optional)
F o r t h e p a s t a:
- 1 pound pasta, any shape
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- a few tablespoons of capers
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- handful of fresh basil
- pinches of red pepper flakes, according to taste
- salt & pepper, to taste
- parmesan cheese (optional)
M e t h o d
Slice tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast the tomatoes, centers facing up, in a 225°F oven. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes. I roasted mine for 3 hours.
Cook your pasta in salty water until a little under al dente, reserving some of the pasta water.
In a large skillet over medium high heat enough olive oil so it coats the bottom of the pan. When the oil is just simmering and add the garlic. Heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds, do not brown the garlic. Add the pasta and toss, adding some pasta water as needed. Add a few pinches of salt & pepper and continue to cook the pasta in the skillet until the pasta is perfectly al dente, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, add a few squeezes of lemon and stir in capers, pine nuts, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and the tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Add more olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese, to taste.
What lovely tomatoes! The pasta dish looks amazing :-)
Thank you so much. :) The tomatoes are incredibly sweet after roasting for so many hours. If you get a chance definitely give it a go!
A beautiful dish. This sounds like something I’d truly enjoy! :-)
You would enjoy this for sure! It’s so wonderful and the flavor of the roasted tomatoes is so intense and sweet. Thank you for stopping in and leaving me a comment. :)
I bet this was a delicious pasta. It sure looks like it.
It certainly was Jovina, I couldn’t stop! First time using roasted tomatoes as a sauce and it was wonderful. :)
Hahaha, at least you’re honest! And it’s healthy gluttony.Or should I call it that? I’m sure there’s a nicer way of putting it. I do love roasted toms. Or just pan-fried and rubbed through a sieve. I don’t buy tinned toms any more due to their leaching/reacting to that horrible plastic inside the tins.
Ha! Yeah, it took a few days for my stomach to settle down, that’s for sure! I noticed glass container tomatoes at the market; quite expensive though. It’s probably better to eat tomatoes only when they are in season, and forget about buying them in a can. I certainly don’t buy any other vegetable in a can! The slow roasting created (an almost) sun-dried effect. They were very sweet and not quite dried out. And the sage crisped up like chips! So good.
yum – love roasted tomatoes!! I planted paste tomatoes here in NE and have harvested about.. 4 : ( so sad. Glad to hear you’re having a good season in Seattle!
Thank you so much! I love your comments and hope you are enjoying the NE! We’ve had numerous disappointments with tomato growing here in Seattle. Definitely take the good seasons when they come! :)
Simply irresistible.
Thanks Johanne! :)
This looks so fresh and delicious! I tried growing San Marzano tomatoes last year but I think it was to hot here. Romas do well though!
I read they do much better in a mild weather climate. But thank goodness you are able to grow Romas! Thanks Julie for stopping by! :)
Ohhh love those perfectly roasted wrinkly tomatoes! And they’re from your own garden – lucky lady.
Saskia! These slow roasted tomatoes were so wonderfully sweet and I loved the texture. The skin is a little thicker on this varietal so they held up well after roasting for 3 or 4 hours. I really felt lucky that they actually grew and ripened well on the vine. Not always the case here in Seattle! You never know what you’re going to get year to year. :)
I’m so glad you’re back to pasta Seana. I absolutely love this post – particularly since I have a garden full of tomatoes, homegrown garlic, and sage. I can’t wait to make this. And since I have arugula in the garden – I’ll add that too. Inspired by you. Always!
Hi Lindy! I’m finally coming off a little pasta kick! I didn’t eat it for months and months and then something just clicked and I couldn’t get enough. You must make this with all your wonderful homegrown produce, you’ll absolutely love it! Please let me know if you do…especially the slow roasted tomatoes. Even if you don’t serve them on pasta it’s worth it! Always…always lovely to hear from you!!
What a beautiful pasta dish! I’m totally envious of your Roma tomatoes. I fear we bought ours too late in the season and although we have enjoyed “some”, the plants have now drowned from all the rain we are having. :(
Awww. The rain. That’s what usually happens to us in late August, just about the time they need heat and sun to ripen. Thank you for your nice comment Joanne. :)
I bought similar tomatoes yesterday and ate them in a salad, but they are pretty expensive here (such type).. Love pasta! It’s always a winner!
I just love roma type tomatoes and I can understand why they are a little more spendy. Hope they were wonderful in your salad! I love pasta too and if my family shared my sentiment I think I would have pasta everyday!! :)
Seana, these look absolutely delicious! Sadly, I didn’t plant any plum tomatoes this year. I regret that with it being such a hot summer! But I got some stellar yellow and red cherries!
Hi Kathryn! It’s so nice to see you here. I am so out of touch right now with my blogging friends! September is such a busy time for me because I work in an elementary school. Glad to hear you had success with your yellow & red cherry tomatoes. We just never know how our summer is going to turn out here in the PNW do we?! :)
No we don’t, do we? Take care and enjoy the kiddos!
Delicious!
Thank you Flora. :)
These roasted tomatoes look heavenly! I have some tomatoes piling up on my counter from my garden. I wonder how it would work with tomatoes that were not Roma. I may have to give it a try! :)
Definitely give it a try Jenny! If they are really big I think you could either roast little longer or slice them thinner. They are so sweet and delicious I would certainly give it a try with other varietals. We roasted another batch yesterday and a couple of them weren’t quite as ripe as I like them and they still came out very sweet. And the sage turns out wonderfully crispy. :)
Your tomatoes look so beautiful roasted and tossed through with the pasta and a few other classic ingredients! I could eat this happily ANY night of the week Seana!
Thank you so much Margot. Like you I can eat it every night as well. It’s a matter of fact my husband was out of town and I ate what would have been his share over the course of a few days! :) Lovely autumn dinner party post!! It looks wonderful. Thank you again for inviting me to take part. It was so fun and I look forward to doing it again.
Lovely! I roast a lot of tomatoes like this :)
Aren’t they irresistible? LOVE roasted tomatoes!
Me too!!
These looks so wonderful. It really is a treat of nature. Slow roasted tomatoes are so sweet and perfect. I love that you roasted them with herbs and threw them in a light pasta. Simple meals like this are one of life’s truly great treats.
Hello Amanda! Couldn’t agree with you more about simple meals being one of life’s truly great treats. My husband and I stood over another roasting pan full of these just last night and we couldn’t quit commenting on the simplicity of this truly delectable treat. Thank you for stopping in and leaving me a comment! I’m hoping I can find myself back and present in the blogosphere. I’ve been very absent and time strapped these days since school started back. Great to hear from you. :)
that’s so cool that you planted your own san marzano tomatoes! What a great idea to use up your tomatoes. Looks like a fabulous meal :)
I love roasting EVERYTHING at the moment. It seems to just concentrate flavours, make textures more beautiful, adds a robust charred flavour at times also. I even roasted sweet corn last night – delicious with a bit of garlicky coriander butter in lieu of the barbecue! Anyway, I digress… this pasta dish is gorgeous. Love slow roasted tomatoes and I definitely agree with other commenters that the simplicity of it is part of the beauty. Just stunning xx
You are right! Roasting vegetables really does concentrate the flavors. Especially these tomatoes. They become so flavorful and a bit like sun-dried tomatoes. Your roasted corn sounds incredible with a bit of garlicky coriander butter. So lovely to hear from you Laura. :)
So gorgeous! I love a fresh and simple pasta, the flavors just really stand out.
Thank you so much! I agree. Simple is best. So great to hear from you Mary Frances. :) Thanks for stopping in and leaving me a comment!
Not only does this look amazing but I am sure it tastes so good. I love the roasted tomatoes! Elegant recipe yumm
I love roasted tomatoes too! We were making them a couple times a week when we had loads of tomatoes from the garden. Especially slow roasted. They turn into such a sweet delight!
Yumm that sounds so good!
You made me so happy when you dried your own tomatoes. Well done. Very well done.
Too good to be real. Just the idea of slow roasting tomatoes sounds like fun. I normally used sun dried tomatoes imported from Italy but this recipe looks inviting. I might try these with potato gnocchi. Thanks for sharing. x
I really like the sound of potato gnocchi with slow roasted tomatoes. Heavenly! If you have a nice bunch of plum tomatoes definitely give them a slow roast. They are so sweet and the texture is perfect for gnocchi. Thank you for stopping in and leaving me a comment. :)
Thanks so much for the suggestion. I have been experimenting with some deep purple plummies I found in the supermarket. They’re very sweet. Should be fun. x
Absolutely fabulous, Seana! I love how you roasted the tomatoes and how it was used for the pasta.
So nice to see your presence here today Fae. :) I am feeling very encouraged by your lovely comments. Thank you.