WHETHER you’re dining alone of whipping up something for someone special, you can’t go wrong with a simple, rustic recipe this Valentine’s Day.
A simple pasta, with a roasted tomato sauce and hint of chilli, is the prefect meal to impress your date or simply treat yourself.
With basil and cracked pepper, this dish is best served with a light red wine, such as pinot noir – and served on a gorgeous balcony overlooking the Noosa River, if possible.
Ingredients:
4 large Roma tomatoes, cut in half (increase if you are serving more than two people).
6 cherry tomatoes, left whole.
Balsamic vinegar.
Cracked black pepper.
Sea salt.
Good-quality olive oil.
Bunch of fresh basil leaves, roughly torn by hand.
Spaghetti pasta, enough for as many people you are serving.
Shaved parmesan cheese.
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees. Place the Roma tomatoes flesh side down in a roasting pan along with the cherry tomatoes.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, enough to allow a thin layer of juices to form in the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to add too much as the tomatoes will poach rather than roast.
3. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta. Cook until tender.
4. Place the pan in the oven and cook until the outside of the tomatoes begin to blister and pull away from the flesh of the tomatoes.
5. Once cooked, remove four cherry tomatoes (these will be added to the top of the pasta when served). Leave the rest of the tomatoes in the pan, season with salt and pepper, add the basil leaves, and mash with a fork or potato masher until the tomatoes are pulp-like.
6. Remove the pasta from the pot, drain, drizzle with olive oil and serve into two large pasta bowls.
9. Pour the tomato sauce over the pasta, top with the remaining cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese.
Delicious! And made in only a matter of minutes. To feed more people, simply increase the ingredients. Any leftover sauce can be frozen once cooled and added to any other pasta-inspired dishes or stews.
