You can easily adjust this recipe to make as much as you need – sometimes I just make some to have on toast or as a side. This version makes enough pasta sauce for four people. Ideally, use the best tomatoes you can find, but I’ve also tested it with budget supermarket tomatoes, and they still tasted great. So, use whatever you can afford or have on hand…
A few other ideas for using the slow roasted tomatoes:
• Blitz into a soup
• Use as a general pasta sauce
• Add to a bolognese or any tomato sauce for extra depth and flavour
• Use in a sandwich
• Toss through jarred or tinned beans for a salad.
• Serve as a side to meat or fish
Slow roasted tomatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g-1kg vine or plum tomatoes, (12-24 depending on the size)
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
4 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
A generous few pinches of flaky sea salt
Method
1. Heat the oven to 140°C Fan. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Halve the tomatoes, then mix them in a bowl with the garlic slices, oil and salt, until evenly coated.
3. Spread them out on the baking trays, cut side up in an even layer, placing the garlic slices on top of the tomatoes.
4. Roast for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the tomatoes are jammy and sweet but not completely dry.
5. Squash all the tomatoes with the back of a fork so they become a little juicier, then allow them to cool (or keep them whole if you want to use them for something else.)
6. Store in a jar with a little more oil to coat them, toss through pasta, spread on toast, or spoon over crème fraîche and beans. @kittycoles
Ricotta gnocchi
The quantity of flour you use depends on your ricotta, so just keep an eye and add a little more if it’s feeling too wet. It should be a very rough, soft dough.
Serves 2
Ingredients
250g ricotta
1 egg yolk
100g plain flour (or ideally pasta “00” flour)
Salt and pepper
Slow roasted tomatoes (recipe above)
To serve
Extra virgin olive oil
Basil
Parmesan
Method
1. Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve, then put it in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the egg yolk and flour. Season with salt and pepper, then mix with a fork.
3. As it starts to come together, tip the dough onto a floured surface. Gently bring it together into a rough dough, then knead for a few seconds to combine. Be delicate here as over-kneading can make the gnocchi tough.
4. Wrap the dough in cling film, then let it chill for 1 hour.
5. Lightly flour your work surface and have a tray nearby that’s also lightly floured.
6. Unwrap the dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Roll one quarter into a long sausage about 1.5cm thick, being careful and gentle with the dough.
7. Cut into 2cm gnocchi pieces, then place them on the tray and repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough.
8. At this point, you can either place them back in the fridge until needed or cook them immediately.
9. To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water to cook. They are finished once they rise to the surface (around 2 minutes). If your pan is small, do this in 2 batches.
10. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining the gnocchi, then drain the gnocchi.
11. Mash your roasted tomatoes, then tip them into the hot gnocchi along with a splash of pasta water and a few tablespoons of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
12. Spoon onto a platter or plates and top with some basil, or simply with parmesan and black pepper. @kittycoles
Slow roasted tomatoes, toast (and a boiled egg)
Serves 1 or 2
Ingredients
1-2 slices of sourdough, toasted
2 x 7 minute boiled eggs
A few spoonfuls of slow roasted tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Butter your toast, then spread a few of the mashed tomatoes plus any juices onto the slice.
2. Halve your eggs, then place them on top of the tomatoes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
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