The amazing comfort of pasta, combined with the amazing flavor of roasted tomatoes makes for one happy tummy!

Bolognese, or “meat sauce” as I called it growing up in Oklahoma, is a rich and hearty sauce that combines ground meat with tomatoes, garlic and Italian herbs. I decided to roast the tomatoes and garlic in basil olive oil (as I so love to do… see: Roasted Tomato Ricotta Bruschetta, Polenta Pizzas with Roasted Tomatoes and Bacon and Roasted Green Bean Pesto Salad). Roasting tomatoes brings out so much flavor and gives them a delicious sweetness.

My favorite thing to do is make a big batch of pasta sauce on Sunday evening, then put it in the refrigerator to eat all week! It’s an easy leftover that just keeps getting more delicious every day!

Ingredients

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Place the tomatoes and garlic on a baking sheet covered with foil bent into a basket shape. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, then top with the black pepper and fresh basil.

Bake for 25 minutes.

In the meantime cook the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain any grease.

Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven.

Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to a food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Purée.

Add the sauce to the cooked beef in a large skillet.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Pour the sauce over your favorite pasta. I had leftover rigatoni from my Four Cheese Stuffed Baked Rigatoni so that’s what I used!

Grate a little fresh parmesan on top and buon appetito!

♣ Vegetarian Option: Substitute meatless crumbles for the ground beef to make this recipe vegetarian.

♦ Gluten Free Option: The sauce is gluten free. Serve over gluten-free pasta.