Its Wednesday, hump day, and we have no groceries nor energy to go and get them. Tonight we got home, looked at what we had, and came up with something actually really tasty! This recipe is so simple and easy… makes me really appreciate the fact that we are growing some staples just for nights like these. All of the flavor from this recipe comes from the roasted tomatoes and garlic. Both when roasted become so sweet and flavor is so intense that not much else is needed. From start to finish, this took us around 30 minutes tops.
This would be really good with a container or two of cherry tomatoes as well, but we used what we had. They always look better and can be a bit sweeter. I recently saw a recipe to can roasted cherry tomatoes which I can’t wait to try for dishes like this or just to spread on bread as a snack! Mike is also a broccoli fanatic, so we threw some in for some extra nutrients, but I think it would be better without and just kept simple with maybe a green salad.
Orecchiette with Roasted Garden Tomatoes and Garlic:
- 8-12 fresh, ripe tomatoes, halved lengthwise, cores and seeds removed
- 1 head broccoli
- 4 tbsp. good olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. good truffle oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 4-6 large garlic cloves
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1 cup fresh parmigiano reggiano grated
- 1 1b. orecchiette
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Boil one pot of water for pasta and one to blanch the broccoli if you choose to use it.
Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer (I line the pan with foil for easy clean up). Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize.
Boil pasta and broccoli until al dente and reserve 2 tbsp. of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain. Toss pasta with the roasted tomato and garlic mixture, the broccoli, truffle oil, the cheese, and some of the cooking liquid. Stir in the chopped fresh basil and serve while hot. 
