Spaghetti with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce
This sauce!!! Seriously, it’s so good I can’t wait to make it again. I saw a recipe for this brilliant sauce on Epicurious and thought it sounded so amazing I made it for dinner that same night. Our house smelled incredible when it was roasting in the oven and both of my kids seemed to perk up when I told them what we were having for dinner. I served this delicious butter-roasted tomato sauce over spaghetti and topped it simply with freshly grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Simple. Delicious. Perfect. This spaghetti paired nicely with a roasted beet, arugula, and goat cheese salad and some freshly baked bread for a delicious and hearty vegetarian meal that my entire family enjoyed.
How to Make Spaghetti with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a glass 9 x 13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Pour the can of whole tomatoes into the prepared baking dish then carefully crush them with your hands. Add the butter pieces, garlic cloves, anchovies, crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Place into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, until garlic is VERY soft and the mixture is jammy. Remove from the oven and mash with a potato masher or fork to break up the garlic and tomatoes. Mix well then taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water per package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Return pasta to the pot and add tomato sauce and cooking liquid then toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing often, until sauce evenly coats the pasta. Pour into a serving bowl and serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
- 8 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil
- 4 tbsp salted butter diced into small pieces
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes more if you want spicy!
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 12 oz spaghetti
- Parmesan freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a glass 9 x 13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
- Make the sauce by pouring the can of whole tomatoes into the prepared baking dish then carefully crush them with your hands.
- Add the butter pieces, garlic cloves, anchovies, crushed red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Place into the oven and roast for 35-40 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, until garlic is VERY soft and the mixture is jammy.
- Remove from the oven and mash with a potato masher or fork to break up the garlic and tomatoes.
- Mix well then taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, if needed.
- Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water per package instructions until al dente.
- Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
- Return pasta to the pot and add tomato sauce and cooking liquid then toss to coat.
- Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing often, until sauce evenly coats the pasta.
- Pour into a serving bowl and serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
The sauce makes the dish! YUMMY!
Reminds me of Marcella Hazan’s (famous Italian chef) tomato sauce. Looks like a wonderful dinner.
You had me at “butter-roasted tomato”! How much damage would I do to the taste if I left out the anchovies? I know they’re mostly a flavor thing, but ew. Just cannot. Is there something not gross that I could substitute? Or should I just not bother if I’m going to skip the little fishies? Thanks!
Also: what is “jammy”? The consistency of jam?
Cheryl,
Check out the photo of the sauce when it was taken out of the oven. It’s a deep red color – thick and jammy not juicy.
Pam
Cheryl,
You can use a bit of fish sauce instead of anchovies. If you are not a fan of any fish products, you can try mincing some kalamata olives – maybe a tablespoon or two. It will help salt the sauce and give it more depth in flavor.
Pam
I’ve made this before and it is SO GOOD!
Roasting the tomatoes this way certainly most enhance the sweetness of the tomatoes. I can wait to give this technique a try.
I made this tonight with my home grown/home canned whole tomatoes, homegrown garlic and anchovy paste instead of anchovies…It was DELICIOUS!!! My husband is typically not a fan of “tomato saucy pastas” but he loved this. I made panko crusted/spiced up pan fried pork loins and a green salad to go along with the spaghetti and it was so good. Thank you!!!