Pasta al Pomodoro

This dish is so simple, and so delicious. When tomatoes aren't quite at their best, slow-roasting them brings out their natural sweetness – and folded through pasta with some garlic and basil is one of my favourite ways to enjoy them. The pine-nut crumb here is optional, but adds some lovely texture. Simple pleasures...

SERVES:
4

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

1.2 kg fresh tomatoes – I like to use plum tomatoes on the vine, but any type will work

8 cloves garlic, unpeeled and bashed with the flat of a knife

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

500g linguine or pasta of choice

Small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and chopped

Vegan Parmesan

For the pine-nut crumb

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

½ cup breadcrumbs, toasted

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/Gas 3.
Cut the tomatoes in half, and place on a baking tray. Add the garlic cloves, drizzle over the olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 40 mins, or until the tomatoes are cooked through and starting to shrink a little. Be careful not to overcook them so they dry out. If you notice they're catching and charring too much, reduce the heat of the oven.
Meanwhile, make your pine-nut crumb by adding the pine nuts, breadcrumbs, parsley and olive oil to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, stir together, and set aside.
When you're ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add your pasta. Cook as per the packet instructions – I always like mine al dente, so I err on the lower side of the suggested cooking time, or cook for 1 minute less.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, squeeze the skins from the garlic cloves, and squish their flesh with the back of a fork.
When the pasta is ready, reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water before draining it. Return the pasta to the pan, add the tomatoes and all the pan juices, and stir to combine.
Fold through the fresh basil and serve immediately, topped with some extra basil leaves, a sprinkling of pine-nut crumb, and some vegan Parmesan.