Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

This is a fantastic pasta dish that packs a lot of flavor. The goat cheese on top really takes it over the top. I served this with some of the leftover garlic bread I made a few days ago, and it really hit the spot! I definitely want to try it again when I get some tomatoes from the farmers’ market – there’s really nothing better than freshly grown tomatoes. Yum!

Quick-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti
Cooking Light June 2010

OK, so tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables–but you use them like veggies. For the prettiest dish, use multicolored tomatoes from the farmers’ market or, if you’re lucky, your backyard.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

4 quarts water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled semisoft goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add 1 tablespoon salt and spaghetti to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until spaghetti is al dente. Drain spaghetti in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return spaghetti to pan; set aside, and keep warm.

3. While spaghetti cooks, combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper on a jelly-roll pan, tossing well to coat. Bake tomato mixture at 450° for 10 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and lightly charred in places.

4. Add tomatoes and any tomato juice to spaghetti in Dutch oven. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to jelly-roll pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; carefully pour water mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into spaghetti mixture. Place Dutch oven over medium heat. Add remaining reserved cooking water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until spaghetti mixture is moist, tossing frequently. Stir in basil and parsley. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 328
Fat: 10.8g (sat 3.2g,mono 5.8g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrate: 46.6g
Fiber: 3.2g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 2.7mg
Sodium: 376mg
Calcium: 48mg

MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars