Roasted Tomato and Roasted Garlic Puttanesca
Roasting develops the essence of garlic and tomatoes in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 12-14 large Roma or plum tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves picked and chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup pitted oil-cured olives, loosely packed
- 6 flat anchovy fillets
- 3 tablespoons drained Capote capers or stemmed caperberries
- 1 small Fresno chili pepper or Italian red cherry pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 pound penne or bucatini pasta
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
Arrange a cooling rack over a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up.
Cut the ends off the entire head of garlic to expose all of the cloves. Season the garlic with a little salt, some black pepper and a drizzle of EVOO, then wrap it in foil.
Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a bowl. Lightly dress the tomatoes by drizzling them with EVOO. Season the tomatoes with salt, pepper and marjoram and arrange them on the baking sheet cut-side down. Bake the tomatoes for 20-25 minutes, then flip them and roast for 20 minutes more. Roast the garlic for 45-50 minutes alongside the tomatoes.
Place about two-thirds of the tomatoes in a food processor. Coarsely chop the remainder of the tomatoes and reserve. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin and add it to the food processor, pulsing until smooth. Add the mixture to a Dutch oven, then add the olives, anchovies, capers and chili pepper. Cook for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Transfer to a small container for a make-ahead meal and refrigerate, or transfer to a serving bowl. Store the chopped tomatoes separately, or add to the serving bowl.
To serve, bring water to a boil, salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente. Reheat the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce for 1 minute, to coat. Serve in shallow bowls with lots of parsley and drizzle with more EVOO.
