Ditalini with Roasted Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

Make this because it tastes awesome. What the hot oven does to the deep red San Marzano tomatoes is a wonder to behold, and produces a pasta sauce with some serious depth of flavor. The always entertaining ditalini are a perfect medium for the rich sauce, smoky oregano, and creamy goat cheese.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 401 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold water
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 (16 ounce) package ditalini pasta
• ½ onion, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Pour tomatoes and their juices into the dish; cut each tomato into 3 pieces. Sprinkle in onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons oregano; stir to combine.

Step 3

Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove dish from oven, stir briefly, return to oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes.

Step 4

Transfer roasted tomato mixture to a saucepan; pour in water. Process mixture with an immersion blender or potato masher until desired sauce consistency is reached. Stir in 1 teaspoon oregano. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

Step 5

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ditalini and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and return to pot.

Step 6

Pour tomato sauce over ditalini; stir to combine. Stir in goat cheese.