Caputo’s Pasta with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes


8 large tomatoes, very ripe
coarse sea salt to taste
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs, toasted in a frying pan until lightly golden
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. pasta such as spaghetti or linguine
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil leaves, shredded
freshly grated pecorino cheese
crushed hot chile peppers


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice each tomato in half and set, cut side up, in a lightly oiled oven dish in one layer. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs. Drizzle olive oil over all. Place in the oven for about 30 to 45 mintutes, or until the tomatoes are very soft and juicy.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta, timing so the pasta will finish about the same time as the tomatoes. Drain the pasta well and turn into a large bowl. Scrape the tomatoes and all the juices hot from the oven over the pasta and mix very well. Add more salt if necessary and freshly grated pepper. Serve at the table with the grated pecorino cheese and hot peppers if desired.

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