Friday Night = Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

On a Friday night, I want something special. I mean, after 50-plus hours of work, we all need a little celebration. But with this economy and blah blah blah, going out to eat every Friday is just not a possibility. If I'm going to cook at home...well, it's gotta stand up to any great meal out on the town. Otherwise, I'm stuck eating the same ol' veggies and chicken and rice, and feeling like it's just any other day. In other words, the worst way start the weekend. So what to have, what to have?

An old issue of Cook's Illustrated (March, April 2007) features a simple tomato sauce that uses a short list of ingredients, stuff that could even already be in your kitchen, that packs a different flavor...roasted tomatoes! They're smoky and rich, and just the most delightful taste on some angel hair pasta. The simplicity of dropping a pan full of ingredients into the oven, sitting back to enjoy the slowly-getting-later sunset, and then the great finale with the ol' Cuisinart...well, that's my kind of Friday night. From start to finish, it took an hour; less than half that time was actually spent cooking. Serve the sauce + pasta with some grilled chicken or shrimp, or keep it veg with some roasted or steamed vegetables on top.

What's for next Friday? Well, maybe Cook's alternate recipe - Roasted Tomato Sauce with Fennel. Add 1/2 tsp fennel seed to the tomato paste mixture and sub onion for a sliced fennel bulb...an unexpected savory delight for a pseudo springtime meal.

Roasted Tomato Sauce
Makes 3-3 1/2 cups (for about 1 pound of pasta)

2 Tbs tomato paste
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes (9 to 12 medium), cored and halved pole to pole
*you can use roma tomatoes, but sometimes the sauce comes out too mealy
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Granulated sugar to taste
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the oven to 475 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and then place a cooling rack on top (hopefully it's about the same size as the baking sheet). In the middle, place a 4-inch square of foil. This little setup will prevent the tomatoes from burning and sticking to the pan (don't reference the photo above...that setup will cause sticky tomatoes; only put them straight on the foiled-lined pan if that's your last resort).
2. Combine tomato paste, 1 Tbs oil, thyme, pepper flakes, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl.
3. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, and onion in the tomato paste mixture until evenly coated.
4. Place the tomatoes (cut-side down) on the wire rack, and then place the onions and garlic on the little foil square in the middle.
5. Roast until vegetables are soft and tomato skins are well charred, 35-50 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let it cool 5 minutes.
6. Transfer garlic and onion to food processor; pulse until finely chopped, about five 1-second pulses.
7. Add tomatoes, vinegar, and remaining tablespoon oil to food processor. Pulse until broken down but still chunky, about five 1-second pulses.
8. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Continue to process until slighly chunky, about five 1-second pulses. Stir in basil, then serve.