Fettucini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

I read an article recently that decried the trend for chefs to use fresh local ingredients - suggesting that it gave rise to a proliferation of dishes that were all the same. The writer was in New York City and the examples she used were extreme - ramps everywhere in the early spring and kale salad on every menu in January. I understand her concern in those periods when the only thing growing in the local area is a drift of brownish snow and melancholy.

However, while I appreciate the concern in those periods, the generally premise is stupid. We should be reducing the global footprint of our food by using what we have on hand in the local area as much as we can. We should be supporting the efforts of our local farmers. We should be eating ingredients that are popping with freshness and flavour because they were recently in the ground or near the sun.

The perfect example of this is a tomato. We have all bought tomatoes in the dead of winter that had the consistency of an apple. Compare that to one fresh from the garden, still warm from the sun, bursting with flavour.  I'll take fresh and local any day.

I used to grow tomatoes in the garden but as plants grew I had less and less room for the tomato plants. I've moved instead to growing smallish heirloom varieties in large pots on the terrace. On most days during this time of the year I can go outside and pick a handful to toss into a salad.

Recently they have gotten out of hand. I found this recipe for a quick pasta on the cover of the most recent Cooking Light magazine and decided to combine my tomatoes with the basil that is also a tad out of control right now and some garlic grown by a local farmer and call it dinner.

The results were fab; a true testament to the joy of cooking with ingredients that are at the peak of their game.

Fettucini with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pints multicolored cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
1/4 cup small basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450°.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add pasta; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 6 tablespoons cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. Combine reserved cooking liquid and 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil 4 minutes or until mixture measures 1/3 cup. Add oil mixture to pan with pasta; toss to coat.

While pasta cooks, combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, tomatoes, and garlic on a jelly-roll pan, tossing to combine. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly browned and begin to burst. Add tomato mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pasta; toss to coat. Top with cheese and basil.

Comments

[bellini]

I am all for cooking local as much as humanly possible. Hand plucking some tomatoes and throwing them in a dish is the ultimate!!!

[Kayte]

Great recipe...and it looks beautifully parked in that dish. We grow the little tomatoes in the large deck pots as well...and I grow four pots because I have to share them with two little chipmunks we affectionately call Chip and Dale. They are very cute, I will say that, they run along the deck and hussle up the pot or jump down from a bit of railing, steal a tom and head down onto the deck to chuck it open and make a real mess while eating. Vash can hardly stand it looking through the door to the deck barking like crazy. It phases them not in the least and they happily munch away. I am counting it as food AND entertainment! Nice post...I'm with you, let's eat fresh what we can when we can. Then we get to dip into the sundried tomato season...yum!

[JDeQ]

Funny story Kayte - the chipmunks here just see to eat seeds we put out the the birds (and bury mouthfulls around the garden which gives rise to interesting plants sprouting all over the place. LOL)

It is one of life's simple peasures isn't it bellini! I'm making my cooking light supper club recipe this afternoon - so far so good. :-)

[Roz]

Mmmm Jerry, I can just taste all of these great fresh flavors in the pasta! I love it when pasta is prepared so simply as this! I'm going to stop by again for the results of your tomato pie. Since last week I've been collecting about 10 recipes to put another version together. Can't wait to read yours!!!!

[JDeQ]

You're right - those flavours of fresh from the garden tomatoes just can't be beaten can they?