Roasted Tomato Pasta & The day my freezer ate my tomatoes…

Who has two thumbs and is super excited about today’s post????  THIS gal!

(Read the following really fast but monotone and with very little inflection in your voice.  That is how I hear these next words in my head as I type…)

Disclaimer:  I was in Barnes & Noble today-don’t you just love that place?- and had a coupon for a free one of those Starbucks Refresher drink thingys and they say that it is supposed to give you natural energy but I wasn’t fond of the taste and I don’t think that it gave me any kind of super energy or is in anyway going to help me stay awake after I was up a bazillion times last night with both of my boys and in any case I could totally use a little boost because my eyelids are totes feeling the whole gravitational pull thing and I am nursing so no coffee for me and I don’t drink pop, like, ever, but I was uber thirsty and had the coupon deal and bought one anyway and even though I only had a little bit and gave the rest of it to Mike, I don’t think it matters because I am not feeling any kind of buzz or energy power from it anyway.  K?  Just so you know.  I’ll try to keep the crazy to a minimum.

On to the pasta!  About a year ago I posted a How To on grilled pizza and Roasted Tomatoes were one of the recipes in that post.  You can check it out again here or find it in the Recipe tab above and scroll down to Side Dishes and then Vegetables.  They are so good and so sweet you could practically give them out on Halloween!  Although I do not recommend this.  Then in this post, I mention that I like to freeze these same tomatoes.  I go on to give some ideas of how to use them right from the freezer and that is what I am talking about today.  But instead of just telling you, I now have pictures.

Everything is better with visual aids.  Right?  Right.

I should also confess that there were a lot of things on my list of meals for this week-Chinese Chicken Salad, Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps, and these stellar Vegetable Enchiladas, but this pasta dish was not one of them.  I only made it because I was trying to make room for all the baby food I was freezing.  More on that later.  While I was digging around trying to maneuver frozen blocks of sweet pastry dough for tarts, bags of frozen blueberries, and what I believe to be an unlabeled container of taco meat, this little quart bag of frozen tomatoes came flying out at me.  I swear it wasn’t there last month.  It was as though my freezer was mocking me and chortling, “You fool!  I have been hiding this for a YEAR now and ha ha!  It is no longer good and you must throw them away!  I win again!  Again!  Mwah ha ha ha haaaah!”  Don’t judge.  You weren’t there.  You didn’t hear the sounds it made.

Well the joke is on you Mr. Frigidaire!  Not only were they still good, but they still smelled, and tasted, like fresh summer tomatoes.  Awesome.  I should go back and note that in the recipe: ‘These tomatoes have super powers and will last forever in your freezer.  Or at least 13 months.’
See?  Don’t they look awesome?  Evelyn was helping us make pizza that day.
This is said bag of tomatoes.  I don’t know exactly how much was in it but I am guessing a couple of cups.  However many tomatoes fit on a sheet pan.   This is such a perfect way to use up all the late summer tomatoes that seem to suddenly all need to be dealt with immediately.  Romas especially.  Completely freezer proof.

And so darn tasty you won’t believe it!
One Year Ago: Caramelized Onion Dip
Two Years Ago: Dippin’ Biscuits, Spiced Peach Jam, Stuffed Shells

Roasted Tomato Pasta

1 recipe Roasted Tomatoes
olive oil
1 pound medium pasta shells, rotini, penne, rigatoni, farfalle, etc
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 c reserved pasta water
freshly chopped basil
1/2 pound browned and crumbled italian sausage, optional

In a food processor, puree the roasted tomatoes, thawed if frozen, with olive oil until it reaches the consistency of applesauce.  Add the oil a bit at a time because you can always thin it with a bit more, but you can’t take it back out again.  Set aside.  Cook the pasta, reserving about a cup of starchy pasta water.  Drain the pasta and immediately toss with the sauce.  If pasta seems too dry, add a bit of pasta water.  Toss again.  Add cheese, basil, and sausage, if using.  Serve and enjoy!