Delayed Gratification Made Easy

It’s almost over, they are almost all gone—but here is what I waited for all summer. I promise you it’s worth the time. And, here’s the deal. The flavor was so deep, so sweet, that I’ll be buying tomatoes and basil all winter long to make this simple sauce.

Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

About 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup of olive oil
1 large clove of garlic minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
¼ cup fresh basil leaves chopped
8 oz linguini or other long pasta

Heat the oven to 250 F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Toss together the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and add the tomatoes. Pour the tomato mixture on to the foil and flip the tomatoes with your fingers until they are all cut side down. Bake in the oven until the skin starts to crinkle and the tomatoes start to turn brown, approximately 1 hour. Scrape roasted tomatoes and oil into a bowl, cover and keep at room temperature. Cook linguini until al dente. Toss with cooked tomatoes and sliced basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Here’s the recipe I used as a jumping off point to make the sauce.

Roasted Tomato and Arugula Salad