A smooth, nicely achieved tomato pasta is an issue of splendor.
This recipe is for those days when culinary inspiration won’t strike. If you’ve been given a garden full of ripe tomatoes, it’s a super way to use them up (if not, a couple of tins of tomatoes work correctly, too). With few ingredients, the long, slow cooking develops the sweetness and intensity of the vegetables and results in a beautiful sauce that’s ideal crowned with baked zucchini and shavings of salty-candy parmesan cheese.
TOMATO PASTA SAUCE WITH BAKED ZUCCHINI
Serves 6
Two tablespoons of excellent fine olive oil + more for drizzling over the zucchini
One big purple onion, finely chopped
Four cloves garlic, finely chopped
1kg tomatoes, roughly chopped, or 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
Two teaspoons sugar
One large handful of black olives, stones eliminated, more or less chopped
1 cup herbs, finely chopped (I used a combination of basil and parsley)
Two silverbeet leaves, finely shredded
750g zucchini, finely sliced
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, and fry the onion and garlic until translucent and smooth.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, olives, and herbs and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil and decrease the heat to simmer for a half-hour with the lid on. Remove the cover and keep to a boil to remove any excess liquid before adding the silverbeet and stirring nicely.
While the sauce is simmering, lay the zucchini out on baking trays, drizzle with olive oil, and bake until golden and crunchy. Serve the sauce over pasta crowned with the zucchini, more basil, and shaved parmesan.
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