We’re housesitting at the moment and in the garden here there are three big tomato plants which are still fruiting! Last week I gathered up this motley collection some of which was on the turn and decided to put the effort in and make some tomato sauce. Such a great way of utilising a glut of toms!
Arrabbiata is like Italian tomato sauce on steroids. A rich garlicky sauce which is laced with chilli, it peps up any midweek meal and works well with smokey bacon, chicken or in this case, roasted vegetables. Traditionally, arrabbiata is served with penne pasta and uses basil but I chose to use the herbs we have here in the garden and served it with fusilli simply because that’s what we have in!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 600g fresh tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely sliced
- 1 fresh chilli deseeded and finely sliced
- 1 onion finely diced
- A small handful of garden herbs finely sliced – I used sage, oregano & thyme
- Salt & pepper
- 1 courgette
- 2 carrots
- 1 red pepper
- 1 onion
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Method:
Sauce:
- Cut a cross into the bottom of each tomato and drop into a bowl or saucepan of boiling water.
- After a minute or two, the skins will begin to peel. Take the tomatoes out of the water and peel off and discard the skins.
- Dice the peeled tomatoes and leave to one side.
- Fry the onion in a little olive oil on a medium heat for around 5 minutes (or until soft) and then add garlic and chillies and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and garden herbs and stir through.
- Allow the tomatoes to cook on a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until they’ve broken down and are very soft, adding a dash of water if needed.
- Season to taste.
Vegetables:
- For the vegetables, preheat the oven to 200c / 180 fan/gas 6.
- Peel the carrots and onion and deseed the pepper.
- Cut all the vegetables into equal-size chunks and put into a baking tray.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for around 20 minutes or until the veggies have a slight char and the carrots are soft.
- Stir into the arrabbiata sauce and add cooked pasta. Mix through and serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.
And that’s it… phew… worth the effort. Enjoy!
If you have a glut of tomatoes and have already made my arrabbiata sauce, why not try some of these recipes, from my fellow blogging buddies?
- Sundried tomatoes from Munchies and Munchkins.
- Green tomato & raisin chutney from Kavey Eats.
- Spiced tomato & tamarind soup from How to Cook Good Food.
I never buy shop bought pasta sauce now. I find it too sweet and not as good as homemade. I am however guilty of using tinned tomatoes instead of fresh 😛 I know I'm so lazy! Definitely need to try making pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes. You've inspired me to do just that!
You cannot beat a homemade pasta sauce…we have a glut of tomatoes here too. This looks lovely, thanks for including my sundried tomatoes. xx
I am loving the sound of this! I would love to grow my own tomatoes, but alas, I make due with a good quality tinned brand.
I agree with Nadia, shop bought sauces often taste too sweet, or too intense, rather than of simple, fresh ingredients. Homemade is so much more delicious!
Totally! I never buy shop bought sauces because of that fact, I also use tinned tomatoes!
No problem, I absolutely LOVE sundried tomatoes, I'll have to try them!
Homemade pasta sauce is THE BEST. This sounds so full of flavour … and I love the added heat from the chili too.
This sounds incredible. I don't buy the jarred or canned sauces. They are always too something: acidic, sweet,too much seasoning, bland, or just taste weird. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I don't think you can beat a really good home cooked tomato sauce like this, and your recipe looks delicious.
This looks great! I love using veggies in pasta sauces! Makes them so much better!
Hi, this recipe looks very healthy, full of vegetables! I'll give it a try this weekend for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Jenny – Pressure Cookers HQ
Pasta is one of my most favorite dishes from the Italian cuisine. Pasta in Arrabbiata sauce is just too delicious. An interesting recipe very well explained!