Arthur Schwartz: Roasted Tomatoes for Spaghetti

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Roasted Tomatoes (and Sauce)

Makes enough sauce for 1 pound of spaghetti or macaroni

This is one of my favorite summer recipes, and now one that my listeners dote on, too. Use it when the tomatoes are really abundant and inexpensive, and when you've tired of eating them in salads, sandwiches and for their own sake. The only problem with this as a summer recipe is that you must have the oven on for at least two hours. So bake the tomatoes in the cool of morning. I've even tossed them with the spaghetti early in the day, then eaten the dish at room temperature in the evening. If you're Italian, you may cringe at the thought of tepid pasta, but if you grew up, as I did, eating leftover sauced macaroni direct from the refrigerator, then this won't seem strange at all.

5-6		medium very ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds)

		Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2-3		large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3		cup fruity olive oil

8-10		large fresh basil leaves, shredded or snipped

1. With the tip of a small knife, cut out tomato cores. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Coat bottom of a roasting pan or baking dish (I use an attractive oval Pyrex pan, available at most houseware departments) with about 2 tablespoons oil. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, in pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press minced garlic into each half; drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon oil. Pour on any remaining oil.

2. Place tomatoes in a preheated 375-degree oven and cook 2 hours, basting two or three times with the oil and juices that collect in pan. When done, tomatoes will have collapsed and some of the juices will have burned a little.

3. With a table knife and fork, cut tomatoes into small pieces. Scrape burned bits into juices to amalgamate them into sauce.

4. Toss in cooked spaghetti and shredded basil. Taste for salt and pepper. I add a lot of black pepper or have red pepper flakes or ground red pepper for everyone to add to their taste at the table.

5. Serve immediately with grated cheese, if desired, though I personally don't find it necessary.

Note: this freezes nicely.