Recipes

Summer Angel Hair Pasta 
with Roasted Garlic and Heirloom Tomatoes

This recipe takes about an hour to prepare.
You'll need an immersion blender or food processor, a large baking sheet, and of course...A fork!

Set oven to 400 degrees

12 oz package of angel hair pasta

8-10 medium-large tomatoes, sliced into large slices and seeded.  

NOTE ~ It's impossible to get all the seeds, just get out what you can. 

If preparing this in Summer, try with all your might to visit a local 

farmer's market to get a nice variety of homegrown tomatoes.  

If it's fall or winter, I use Roma Tomatoes or On the Vine tomatoes~

1 large sweet onion such as Vidalia sliced in rings
8-10 whole garlic cloves
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp coarse sea salt.





Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on the pan. Throw all the vegetables and herbs onto the pan. Sprinkle with the sea salt, then drizzle the remaining oil.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the garlic is nearly soft enough to smash. If not done, continue to bake, checking every 3-4 minutes.  Don't walk away!
Get the water for the pasta boiling while the tomatoes are baking.  Add 1 tsp salt to the water once it comes to a rolling boil. 
Add the pasta. 
Angel hair pasta cooks very fast so don't leave it. Before draining, ladle a small amount of pasta water into a measuring cup or bowl to reserve for later.
Once pasta is done, about 4-5 minutes, pour over colander and drain.
Check the tomato/garlic mixture. Once the garlic is soft enough to mash, transfer all ingredients from baking sheet to food processor.  If you are using an immersion blender, transfer to a bowl. 
Blend tomato/garlic/onion mixture to a coarse chop.  Don't puree, just process enough to toss thoroughly with the pasta. Before adding the tomato and garlic to the pasta, pour the reserved pasta water over the pasta to refresh it since it gets sticky when it sits. 
After processing, toss the sauce with the warm pasta.  If it's too sticky, drizzle a little olive oil to help distribute evenly.  Grate some fresh Parmesan over the top and serve with Italian bread and a good wine.
Enjoy!