Penne With Spinach and Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce

I finally figured out what to do with those winter supermarket tomatoes - slow roast them and make this pasta!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ROASTED TOMATOES

• 3 -4  vine-ripened tomatoes
• 1⁄2 red onion
• 3  garlic cloves
•  extra virgin olive oil
• 1  tablespoon dried basil

• PASTA

• 1  lb penne
• 5  ounces  fresh  Baby Spinach
• 1 -2  fresh mozzarella ball (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Drizzle some olive oil on a foil lined sheet pan.
3. Quarter and seed the tomatoes and add to the sheet pan.
4. Very thinly slice the garlic and red onion and add them to the tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle the basil over the top, drizzle on a little more olive oil, and toss with your hands to combine.
6. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, boil the penne. (You want to time it so it's done about the same time as the tomatoes.).
8. One minute before the pasta is done, add the spinach to the boiling water.
9. Transfer the contents of the baking sheet to the bowl of a food processor. Add the optional mozarella, and puree.
10. Drain the spinach / penne, and toss immediately with the tomato mixture.