Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place the garlic on a small piece of foil, rub it with a little of the oil already on the sheet, then wrap it and place beside the tomatoes. Roast 30–35 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and soft. The garlic must be soft enough to squeeze from its skins; give it longer if needed.
- Set aside 1 cup of the roasted tomatoes from that original five-cup batch. Squeeze the softened garlic cloves from their skins. The remaining roasted tomatoes and their juices will go into the blender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to its package directions, stopping at al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining. Start this near the end of roasting so the pasta is ready for the sauce.
- Warm the sauce oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the tomato paste, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until brick red and fragrant. Add sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and optional pepper flakes; stir for another 1–2 minutes. If using the optional wine, add it and simmer for 1–2 minutes.
- Blend the remaining roasted tomatoes, their juices, roasted garlic and coconut cream until smooth, venting the lid safely for warm ingredients. Pour into the skillet and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Loosen with a little reserved pasta water as needed.
- Toss the pasta with the creamy sauce. Gently fold in the reserved whole roasted tomatoes and chopped basil. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve warm, with any optional Parmesan, nutritional yeast or basil leaves.
Nutrition
Notes
The tomato balance: The reserved 1 cup comes from the original 5 cups of tomatoes. It is folded in whole after the remaining tomatoes are blended; it is not an additional ingredient quantity.
Cream and wine: Unsweetened canned coconut cream is the default. Cashew cream is an alternative and adds a tree-nut allergen. The base nutrition excludes the optional white wine. If using wine, choose a producer-confirmed vegan dry white; Frey is one verified example. Brief cooking does not guarantee removal of all alcohol. For a wine-free lift, add a little reserved pasta water and 1 teaspoon lemon juice if desired.
Pasta and allergens: Use gluten-free, vegan pasta and check coconut cream, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste and any optional cheese for your dietary needs. Ordinary wheat pasta works as a variation but makes that version wheat-containing. Coconut cream and cashew cream have different allergen and nutrition profiles.
Make ahead: Refrigerate the sauce promptly in a covered shallow container at 40°F (4°C) or colder for up to 3 days. Cook the pasta fresh if possible. Refrigerate finished pasta for 3–4 days and reheat thoroughly with a splash of water; gluten-free pasta can soften as it sits.
Timing: Roast the tomatoes and garlic while boiling the pasta water. Garlic size and pasta cooking times vary; use the tenderness cues. Optional garnishes and unmeasured seasoning are excluded from the base nutrition.
