There will always be someone who will demand grated Parmesan when presented with this dish but, while it is delicious on many an occasion, I think its inherent cheesiness detracts from the delicate flavors the orange and cardamom add to the concentrated tomato flavors. Stubbie and L. feel equally strongly that crumbled bacon strewn liberally over the top is not an option. I thought it was certainly a good thing worth considering.
2 large containers of cherry or grape tomatoes
s&p (in this case I prefer white pepper to black)
7 coriander pods
1 Tbsp orange zest
3/4 cup cream
1 Tbsp vodka
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 pkgs fresh angel hair pasta
1 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Preheat the oven to 200⁰.
Cut the tomatoes in half and place them, cut side up on a parchment paper lined baking tin. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Zest oranges until you have 2 teaspoonsful and crush the coriander pods in order to remove the inner black seeds. Sprinkle zest and seeds on the tomato halves. I am compulsive enough to place a cardomom seed or 2 on each tomato half but this is not mandatory. A more haphazard approach works just as well.
Place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hrs. Start checking at the 1 ½ hour mark. Be cautious when handling the tomatoes as you do not want them to break and release any remaining juice. They are done when they look chewy and slightly dehydrated but not desiccated or with scorch marks.
Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the ground cardamom. Add the cream and heat through. Add the chopped parsley and the vodka and allow to cook at a gentle bubble for a few minutes until the parsley is wilted. Add the tomatoes and stir to incorporate into the cream sauce.
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add this 1/2 cup water to the sauce; stir to blend. Add the drained pasta to the sauce pan containing the sauce and mix gently so that all the pasta is coated with sauce and the tomatoes are studded throughout the mixture – kitchen tongs seem to work best for this.
Should be served immediately in heated bowls as pasta always gets cold too quickly.
(Leftover tomatoes are delicious as a sandwich filling so I often set aside a small portion for use the next day. I spread toasted whole wheat bread liberally with cream cheese and add the tomatoes and julienned basil).
(Original recipe. Roast tomato cooking technique inspired by various online recipes).