We've had great luck with the grape tomato plants this year. They're producing in abundance, and we bring in colanders full of them just about every night. They are sweet, flavorful, and downright addictive. Michael has been packing sandwich bags full of them to take to work for a snack. Last week I experimented with roasting them, which worked well. The flavor concentrated and they made a tasty addition to this simple and colorful pasta dish. When roasting grape tomatoes, dried basil seems to work better than fresh. I found that fresh basil burned to a crisp during the 90-minute stay in the oven.
The boys really enjoyed this dish. The youngest kept digging through his bowl looking for the olives and tomatoes. It's very easy to prepare and is a tasty summer evening dish for an outdoor meal. I make it with gluten-free linguine and you can choose your own favorite pasta.
[Updated August 2013.]
Linguine with Peppers and Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan, lined with foil
- 12-inch nonstick saute pan
Ingredients
Tomatoes
- 2 pounds grape tomatoes
- 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium Vidalia onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 green bell pepper (cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper (cut into 1/2-inch chunks)
- 1/4 cup sliced olives
- 1/3 cup sliced button mushrooms
- 12 fresh basil leaves (chopped)
- 16 ounces gluten-free linguine
- fresh grated Parmesan (for garnish (or other option for vegan))
Preparation
Roast the Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Put the grape tomatoes into the foil-lined baking pan. Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes, and sprinkle with the dried basil and the sea salt. Shake the pan from side to side to get all the tomatoes coated with the oil and seasonings. Roast for about 60 minutes, until the tomatoes are starting to shrivel. Turn off the heat and leave the tomatoes in the oven while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Saute the Vegetables
- In the nonstick pan over medium heat, saute the onions in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, green pepper, yellow pepper, olives, and mushrooms. Stir until all the ingredients are distributed and coated with the olive oil. Continue cooking until the vegetables are heated through and just starting to soften.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven and pour them along with all the olive oil and seasonings into the pan with the vegetables. Toss in the fresh chopped basil and stir and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serve over cooked linguine and garnish with fresh grated Parmesan.
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