Linguini With Oven Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic

Are you enjoying carbs at dinner or are you steering clear?  Research shows that if you’re practicing girth control,  having carbs at night can offer an assortment of health perks.

And here’s a very tasty way to have them. This simple recipe is adapted from my book The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide (Viking Canada).

You can use this preparation to oven dry any type of tomatoes, even grape or cherry  varieties, all year long. It’s also a great way to salvage tomatoes that are not very flavourful.

Simply shorten cooking times if the tomatoes are small. When you have too many tomatoes or some that are getting too ripe, extend their shelf life by drying them. Roasting them in the oven makes them sweeter while providing  an intense hit of  flavor.  It also boosts the absorption of lycopene,  the red carotenoid or pigment, which acts as an antioxidant.

Linguini  With  Oven Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic

Serves 6

2 pounds  plum tomatoes
3 tbsp  extra virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large cloves garlic
3/4 pound   linguini, preferably whole wheat
2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp   freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325 °F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut tomatoes into wedges (quarters for small tomatoes and sixths for larger ones) and place on the baking sheet, skin side down.  Drizzle  1 tablespoon olive oil over tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for  about 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours, or until tomatoes are dried slightly but still soft to touch. Be careful not to overdry.

To prepare garlic,  cut off 1/4  inch off the top of  the cloves. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and wrap in double thickness aluminum foil. Place in oven alongside tomatoes and bake for about  30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Squeeze roasted garlic  into a small bowl. Using a fork, mash it together with 2 teaspoons  olive oil.

Remove tomatoes from oven and allow to cool; cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch  pieces. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In a large skillet,  over medium heat,  add garlic-oil mixture; add dried tomatoes and toss to coat. Heat until mixture is warmed through. Add cooked linguini and toss.   Remove from heat. Add chopped basil and fresh mozzarella, being careful to distribute the pieces evenly.  Drizzle remaining tablespoon olive oil over pasta.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Per serving nutritional information:
Calories:   329
Protein:  12  grams
Fat:   11 grams
Saturated Fat:  3 gram
Carbohydrate: 47  grams
Dietary Fibre:  9  grams
Sodium: 166 milligrams

Have you tried oven-dried tomatoes? If so, how do you use them? Please share in the comment section below.