Karen Martini’s one-tray roasted tomato, red capsicum and chilli sauce for pasta

Name: Karen Martini’s one-tray roasted tomato, red capsicum and chilli sauce for pasta
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: about 800ml sauce (serves 8); Pasta serves 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g rigatoni; 200g stracciatella cheese; 12 basil leaves; freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Karen Martini

February 2, 2024

Use the ripest tomato you can find, a little over ripe is even betterWilliam Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursMakes:about 800ml sauce (serves 8); Pasta serves 4

This is one of the most delicious basic sauces, and it comes together in one tray. Roasting enhances and deepens the flavour, which you can’t replicate by cooking ingredients in a pot.

Naturally, sweet in-season tomatoes are ideal; use the ripest you can find (a little overripe is optimum). I’ve specified romas, but you can use anything that looks good, with quality heirlooms making for a flavourful result that works beautifully with the capsicum; just pick thick-walled varieties.

Ingredients

500g rigatoni
200g stracciatella cheese
12 basil leaves
freshly grated parmesan, to serve

FOR THE SAUCE

10 ripe roma tomatoes, cores removed, halved
3 red capsicums, cores removed, quartered
6 eschalots (French shallots), sliced into 3mm-thick rounds, or 1 white onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 long red chilli, sliced in rounds
2 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
½ tbsp dried Greek oregano
salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
200ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional).
Step 2
For the sauce, arrange the tomato and capsicum snugly in a deep baking dish. Scatter the shallot, garlic, chilli, thyme and oregano over the top and season generously with salt and pepper before pouring over the olive oil. Roast for about 1½ hours, until the tomatoes have softened and the skins are papery. Set aside to cool a little.
Step 3
Pick off any loose skin from the tomato and capsicum, but don’t be too fussy about it. Mash the flesh with a kitchen spoon or use your hands, then blend with a stick blender until semi-smooth. Stir in the vinegar, then transfer half the sauce to a large saucepan. Refrigerate the remaining half in a jar or airtight container and use within the week – or freeze.
Step 4
For the pasta, cook the rigatoni in amply salted boiling water for a minute less than the packet directions, then lift into the sauce over a medium heat. Mix through and simmer in the sauce to bring the pasta to al dente and help the sauce cling to the rigatoni. Check the seasoning.
Step 5
Transfer the pasta and sauce mix to four shallow bowls or to a serving bowl, spoon the stracciatella over the top, scatter over the basil and serve with the freshly grated parmesan.