The Cookbook

Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole Italian plum tomatoes, with their juices
3 whole heads roasted garlic, cloves removed from peels

In a large saucepan saute the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat until soft and lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, salt, balsamic vinegar, hot sauce, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and basil, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you place them in the pan, and their juices. Stir to combine well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the roasted garlic cloves and stir to combine. Continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes longer, or until the flavors have come together.
Serve over pasta of choice.

DIRECTIONS FOR ROASTING GARLIC:

3 heads of garlic (remember HEADS not little cloves)
Olive Oil
S&P
Little more than 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put water in a small oven-proof dish. Take each whole head of garlic and slice off the stem far enough down to expose cut surface of cloves (do not peel). Place cut side up in dish w/ water. Drizzle with olive oil, add S&P (you be the judge on amounts). Place in 500 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. (My water was almost gone and a few of the clove tops were very dark.) Let cool. The garlic is easy to just squeeze out of the peels. I mashed mine up a bit before putting them in the sauce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Threw in some frozen meatballs because we had them but they aren't necessary. The tomatoes were canned from my husband's garden. Excellent.

klh6656