Recipe: Roasted tomato sauce with crunchy Italian topping
Tossing pasta through this sauce is a must, but it can also be served alongside grilled meats and crusty bread.
In Australia, tomatoes are available all year around but there is no mistaking when the season gets into full flight. The varieties, colours and sizes are the first thing you notice but it’s the flavour and aroma of a perfectly ripe late-summer tomato that really stays with you. Alas, after a later-than-usual summer we are nearing the time we must farewell these sun-kissed tomato memories. This jammy, sweet, roast tomato sauce is a fitting send-off.
Slow roasting tomatoes concentrates their sweetness and intensifies their flavour. All types of tomatoes are embraced for this recipe. I like roasting a melody of varieties and sizes – the flavours and varieties change dramatically through the season. I’m on the hunt for the sweetest. You will grab great deals on tomatoes at this time of year.
Often, you’ll find me donning my Nonna apron and doubling, even tripling this recipe to preserve that summer feeling, ready to pop open when the heat of the sun feels like a distant memory. This is of course an annual tradition for many Italian families, who have passata running through their veins. There will be large gatherings across the country at which litres and litres of passata will be made and bottled, ready to take on the cooler months. If you find yourself invited to one of these gatherings, lucky you.
I am still searching for a large Italian family to take me in, so for now I will carry on creating my own preserving traditions. My cavatelli pasta recipe above is as basic as fresh pasta goes and I encourage you to give it a go. If taking on fresh pasta is too much, then simply serve this sauce with your favourite dried or store bought pasta. Gnocchi works well too. Tossing pasta through this sauce is a celebration of simplicity, but these roast tomatoes are also perfect served alongside grilled meats – chicken, steak, pork, even a lovely piece of fish – and bread to mop up the excess.
The spicy Italian crumb topping is not a requirement but it does add a great texture and kick. For a vegetarian version – or for those who don’t love anchovies – feel free to leave the anchovies out. I often make extra and keep it in an airtight jar for added Italian panache to soups, pasta or salads.
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RECIPE: Roasted tomato sauce with crunchy Italian topping
Ingredients
- 1kg tomatoes – I like to use a mix of varieties including cherry, Roma and heirloom
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 lemon, rind (use a peeler to peel)
- ½ bunch oregano
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of caster sugar
- Salt and pepper
- Pasta or gnocchi for four, optional
- For spicy Italian crumb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 anchovies
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- ¼ cup of breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli
- Salt flakes
- Parmigiano Reggiano, to serve
- Ball of buffalo mozzarella, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150C. If you are using big tomatoes, slice them into quarters while small cherry tomatoes can be left whole. Arrange in a deep sided roast tray. Throw in garlic cloves, lemon rind, oregano, olive oil, vinegar and caster sugar to help coax out the sweetness. Generously season with salt and pepper. Toss together and put in the oven. Slowly roast for 2 hours, giving the tray a shake and a toss every now and then until the tomatoes have collapsed and are jammy and juicy.
- Meanwhile, prep your crunchy topping. Place a frypan over medium to low heat. Pour in olive oil along with garlic and anchovies. Cook slowly until anchovies have melted away. Throw in fennel seeds and breadcrumbs. Cook for 5 minutes or until crumbs are golden and crunchy. Add chilli flakes and remove from heat. Drain on paper towel, season with a pinch of salt and set aside.
- You can simply place tomatoes on the table, break over mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil, and generously sprinkle with spicy Italian crumb.
- If serving with pasta, bring a large saucepan of water to a lively boil and season as salty as the sea. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Use a fork to mash the tomatoes so it becomes more of a puree, or leave them as they are as you toss through the pasta.
- Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of cooking water, and throw pasta directly into roast tomatoes along with a dusting of parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan. Toss the pasta and tomatoes together, ensuring the sauce coats each piece of pasta, adding a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen it up if needed.
- Serve on a platter or divide into four individual bowls. Rip up buffalo mozzarella, drizzle with oil and generously sprinkle with spicy Italian crumb.
Serves 4
