Pasta Roma Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD ROASTED ROMA TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Line 2 rimmed cookie sheets with foil. Spray each with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, toss tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper flakes. Arrange cut side up in one layer, tightly packed in rows, on pans. Transfer onions, without separating into rings, to pan. Press cut side of garlic into the oil, and place on pan. Scrape remaining oil mixture onto onions.
• Roast 55 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes or until tomatoes are charred on edges and onions have browned.
• Squeeze garlic cloves from skins, and place in blender. Working in batches, add tomatoes, onions and pan juices to blender. Blend until smooth, starting low then working up to high speed, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to large glass or stainless steel bowl. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, onions, garlic and pan juices.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until lukewarm. Transfer in 1-cup portions to freezer containers or 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bags. (If using freezer bags, squeeze out excess air before sealing. Lay bag flat on cookie sheet, and freeze.) Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator or in microwave on Medium (50%) 3 to 5 minutes or until completely thawed, then use immediately.

ROASTED ROMA TOMATOES AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place the tomato halves in a shallow baking dish in which they can all fit in snugly side by side. Insert the whole cloves of garlic in between the tomatoes. Brush olive oil over the top and sprinkle with basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, until tomatoes have softened and are sizzling in the pan with the edges slightly charred. Serve while hot.

AUTHENTIC (QUICK) ITALIAN TOMATO SAUCE FOR PASTA

Steps:

• Pour the oil into a large saute pan (not a deep pot) over medium high heat. Crush the garlic and add it to the oil (if you want a spicy sauce, you can add some hot pepper, fresh or flakes, at this point). Saute the garlic until it just starts to brown, then add the parsley.
• Turn the heat up to high. Now add the tomatoes, and quickly cover with the lid for about 30 seconds, until the squirting subsides. Stir with a wooden spoon and lower the heat a little. It is important that this sauce is cooked at a fast simmer, as it is cooked briefly.
• Add the salt and continue to simmer at a fast pace, and stir often.
• The sauce will thicken quickly, so do not overcook it, and have it become too thick; about 5 to 7 minutes should be sufficient.
• Taste the sauce, if it doesn't taste delicious, it probably just needs a little more salt. Turn off the heat and add the fresh basil (I tear mine into pieces). Also, unless absolutely necessary, do not wash your basil. Wipe it with a damp paper towel instead, so the water doesn't ruin the flavor and aroma.
• Add sauce to the drained pasta (save some pasta water to add back into the pasta in case it's too dry), and enjoy immediately with some freshly grated authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and/or pepper.
• Also, if you've been plating pasta in a bowl, then topping it with sauce, this is American-style. If you want to serve it the way they do in Italy, mix the sauce in and then plate it.

PASTA ROMA

Steps:

• Cook linguine. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta water; return pasta to pot.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage and 2 tablespoons water in a large covered nonstick skillet over medium until fat renders, 5 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium-high. Brown sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, 7 minutes.
• Add garlic, bell peppers, and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water; cook until peppers soften, 6 minutes. Add 3/4 cup pasta water and butter; swirl to combine.
• Transfer to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Toss; add more pasta water as desired. Serve.

EASY PASTA PRIMAVERA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic, oregano, and thyme. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to coat.
• Transfer the vegetables to a large sheet pan (or two if needed). Spread them out well. Roast in heated oven for about 20 minutes (stirring half-way through).
• While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package (about 10 to 12 minutes). Reserve some of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta.
• Transfer pasta to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, and if you like, a little oregano and fresh thyme. Add the vegetables in. Add the tomatoes and lemon zest. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water, a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

PASTA ROMA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour pasta into a 6-8 quart pot of boiling water. Blend the next two ingredients and 1/2 a cup of the parmesan cheese in a food processor until the mixture is creamy. Add the last 1/2 cup of parmesan to the mixture and blend until the paremesan is disbursed in the mixture. Set aside Chop the roma tomatoes into pieces. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside. Pour olive oil on a 9x13 oven ready casserole dish. Drain noodles. Pour the noodles into the pan and cover completely with the creamy mixture. Then, top the pasta and creamy mixture with the chopped tomatoes. Place the dish in the oven on the middle rack for 40 minutes or until the sides are bubbling and the center is hot. Take the basil leaves off the stems and chop the basil. When the pasta is ready take it out of the oven and sprinkle the basil on top. viola! Dinner is ready!