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

Karen Martini
Karen Martini

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

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.

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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

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional).

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Tip: Store the sauce in a jar or airtight container in the fridge and use within the week – or freeze.

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Karen MartiniKaren Martini is a Melbourne-based chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter. She has a regular column in Good Weekend.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/karen-martini-s-one-tray-roasted-tomato-red-capsicum-and-chilli-sauce-for-pasta-20240129-p5f0tb.html