Dean Edwards' roasted Mediterranean pasta
Readymade pasta sauce has been making the papers all this weekend due to high levels of salt, sugar and fat. Dean Edwards will be showing us how quick and easy it is to make your own healthy home made pasta sauce, with his perfect Monday night dish - his roasted Mediterranean pasta.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Tomato sauce:400g cherry tomatoes, halved1 red onion, quarteredFew sprigs fresh thyme, leaves pickedOlive oil for drizzling2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Vegetable Pasta:
1 red onion, quartered2 courgettes, sliced into thick chunks1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped4 cloves garlic, skin onDrizzle olive oilSalt and ground black pepper320g whole-wheat tagliatelle or spaghetti, cooked according to pack instructions75g reduced fat mozzarella, torn into piecesSmall bunch fresh basil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3
Halve the cherry tomatoes and place on a baking tray with the quartered onion and picked thyme sprigs. Sprinkle over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar then season with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes.
Place the red onions, courgette, green pepper, whole cloves and a drizzle of olive oil and ground black pepper in a bowl. Toss to mix and pour onto a baking sheet, spreading the vegetables out. Bake at the same time as the tomatoes for 35 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
Blitz half of the roasted tomatoes and onion along with a drizzle of olive oil, setting aside the remainder for garnish
Toss the blitzed sauce with the roasted vegetables and pasta of your choice. Top with the reserved roasted tomatoes, mozzarella and basil leaves to serve.
5 Minute Pasta Sauce
Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil2 cloves garlic, crushed½ onion, chopped1 tsp dried basil, marjoram or herb of your choice (optional)400g can chopped tomatoesGround black pepper and salt
Method:
Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the garlic, onion and dried herbs if using and cook for 1 minute to soften.
Pour in the tomatoes and season with pepper and very little salt. Cook for a further 4 minutes over a high heat until bubbling. Serve with pasta, or use as a pizza topping.
Tips:
The tomato sauce can be used as it is or add any of your favourite meat, vegetables or alternatives to it
Homemade tomato sauce can be used for all pasta dishes from spaghetti bolognese to lasagne. It can also be used as a pizza-topping base
Keep sauce handy by storing cooled sauce in a clean jar or tub in the fridge for a few days.
Make a big batch and freeze in portions. Use straight from frozen by adding to a pan over a medium heat, or simply add to bolognese mixture and stirring until defrosted.
Freeze in an ice cube tray. When frozen transfer into a poly bag, label and return to the freezer for handy portions for topping pizza and stirring into sauces.
Use store cupboard ingredients to flavour tomato sauces, e.g. dried herbs, olives and anti- pasta
Check the labels, especially the serving size on canned tomatoes and passata (sieved tomatoes), they vary widely in sugar and salt content. Check canned tomatoes contents for natural juices.
When short on time, keep chopped onions (fresh or frozen) to hand to make an even speedier sauce