Roasted Tomato Sauce - I've seen this recipe or something like it in a couple of places, TV or magazine or something. In fact, I'm pretty certain I'm stepping on someone's copyright.

A couple people have asked me about this sauce, or other sauces, so here it is, for them and for anyone else who wants to make something a litle different than pasta and Ye Olde jarred marinara (now with meat!). Tomatoes aren't really in season anymore, sure, but if you get some good looking plums you'll still get that great smoky flavor that you don't get from other sauces. What I like about this particular recipe is you don't need to parboil and peel the tomatoes ahead of time. Raw tomatoes in, sauce out. No fancy equipment needed. Here we go:

Roasted Tomato Sauce
• 3 pounds (about 15) of seriously ripe plum tomatoes per pound of pasta.
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled, then crushed or broken into chunks.
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil.
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary.
• 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, or 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
• Little bit salt, a little bit pepper, a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.
• 1 pound of pasta per three pounds of tomatoes.
• Grated parmasean or romano cheese.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Core tomatoes, halve them lengthwise, then place face down on a rimmed baking pan.
3. Add garlic to baking pan, between tomato halves.
4. Roast tomatoes at 425 for 35 minutes or until skins are brown and puckered.
5. When tomatoes are done, take them out of the oven, and allow them to cool for a few minutes, just enough to be handled. Now's a good time to get going with the salad.
6. Remove tomato skins and discard.
7. Pour garlic and tomatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, basil, rosemary, and sugar / balsamic vinegar. Mix by hand.
8. Top hot pasta with warm sauce and cheese to taste.

You know, you can vary the seasonings all you like, and use whatever kind of pasta you want. You'll be happy.

L'Shana Tova.