I know it’s October, and tomatoes are so last month, but my tomato plants are blissfully unaware of the impending cold. We have so many tomatoes right now we cannot keep up. This cherry tomato confit (delectable topper of all things) and this simple spaghetti have been on repeat, so I cannot complain.
The beauty of this spaghetti lies in its simplicity: to make the sauce, cherry tomatoes and a few aromatics are simply tossed with olive oil and roasted in the oven until bursting and oozing forth their juices. Roasting is a very simple method for preparing a sauce from scratch. It’s hands-off and easy-cleanup, but it also intensifies the flavor of the tomatoes — a win-win.
The recipe calls for pureeing about 3/4 of the tomato mixture, either with a blender, immersion blender or, for a more rustic sauce, with a potato masher or fork right in the baking dish. This is casual weeknight cooking at its finest. Toss the spaghetti with the silky sauce, reserved tomatoes and a little pasta water, and top with ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt, pepper and fresh herbs (pesto optional, but encouraged).
Serve and enjoy — in a few weeks, these last remnants of summer’s bounty will be gone! xo Maggie
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PinIngredients
- 1.5 lbs cherry tomatoes (about 4 heaping cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 sprigs of fresh oregano
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 lb spaghetti
- Fresh ricotta
- Optional toppings: pesto, homemade or store-bought, and fresh herbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves and oregano in a large baking dish. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, until tomatoes are bursting and releasing their juices.
- Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil. Add a very generous pinch of salt once the water has come to a boil. My rule of thumb is about 2 tbsp of salt for every 1 lb of pasta. Return to a boil. Once the tomatoes are nearing completion, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Right before the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, puree about 3/4 of the roasted tomato mixture. You can do this in a blender, with an immersion blender or, for a more rustic sauce, with a potato masher or fork.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot and toss with the sauce and reserved tomato mixture. Continuing tossing and add the reserved pasta water little by little (you won’t need all of it) until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Transfer to bowls, top with a dollop of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Optional toppings: pesto and fresh basil and oregano. Enjoy!
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