Some of Italy’s finest tomatoes are grown in the beautiful southern region of Puglia, where our head chef Roberta grew up. As a child, Roberta could often be found nestled among the vines, plucking the brightest, juiciest tomatoes and popping them surreptitiously into her mouth. The sweet yet tangy burst of flavour from each little red treasure was a source of the purest joy for our young sfoglina. Ever since, tomatoes have been one of her favourite ingredients to cook with, transporting her back to the carefree days of her youth.
This humble sauce is made with only a few ingredients, allowing our delicious tomatoes to take pride of place. The slow-roasting process lets all of the wonderful flavour packed into each fruit burst to the fore, taking the lucky diner on a sublime sensory journey. Our favourite way to serve this sauce is with freshly prepared orecchiette, another delicious Pugliese speciality.
Make our simple roasted tomato sauce
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Calories per serving: 77 kcal
Ingredients
- 1kg vine-ripened tomatoes, removed from vines and halved
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2tsp demerara sugar
- 2tbsp tomato purée
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C. Arrange your halved tomatoes facing upwards in a single layer in a large roasting tin.
- Push the crushed garlic in amongst the tomatoes, submerging it inside them where possible. Sprinkle over the sugar, salt and pepper.
- Spoon the tomato purée evenly over the roasting tin and finally drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast in the oven for about an hour until the tomatoes are soft and beginning to char in places. Check after 40 minutes to ensure you don’t burn the sauce.
- When cooked, scatter over the chopped basil and gently crush the tomatoes with a fork to form a lovely thick sauce.
- Serve with freshly made pasta, we recommend orecchiette for a true Pugliese experience, and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano. Buon appetito!
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