Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

I made this last week for dinner. We had talked about going out to eat, but I just really wanted to stay home and eat some of our yummy tomatoes. My kids even liked it. I think I got it from Rachel Ray.



Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

ingredients:

1 pound pasta cavatappi or orecchiette

Salt

2 pints grape tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, grated

A few drizzles of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Freshly ground black pepper

20 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano



preparation:

Preheat oven 425°F.Place a large pot filled with water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the pasta. Once boiling, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta.While the water is coming up to a boil to cook the pasta, place the tomatoes on a cookie and grate the garlic over them.Drizzle with some EVOO and season with some salt and pepper. Transfer cookie sheet to the oven and roast tomatoes for 8-10 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, discard the garlic cloves and transfer roasted tomatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the reserved pasta water and, with a potato masher or a fork, lightly smash the tomatoes. This is a great job for a K.H. (kid helper)!Add basil, drained pasta and Parmigiano cheese and toss to coat.Toss to combine, taste and re-season with some salt and pepper then serve.

Yields 4 servings