The Feeding Trough - Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes

Witchdoctor’s sometime tech guru (and secret culinary fiend) PAT PILCHER shares another secret – and surprisingly easy – foodie delight in our new series, The Feeding Trough.

Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes With Baked Capsicum, Garlic, Pine Nuts, Pasta & Parmesan

Everyone has a can’t-be-arsed meal that they can whip up on auto-pilot, and this is what I do when I have fresh tomatoes, capsicums and pine nuts because it’s quick, easy and next to impossible to get wrong.

It’s also quick to cook, tasty and a healthy dish with “wow” factor. If you’re stuck for a simple low fuss lunch/dinner that’ll impress, you may want to check this recipe out.

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 medium-large fresh tomatoes
Small bunch of fresh oregano
50ml balsamic
Olive oil
1x capsicum
8 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
100g Pine nuts
200 pasta

Steps

Capsicum/Garlic

Preheat oven to 180c
Cut the core out of the capsicum
Place the capsicum with the hole you’ve cut face down in a small casserole dish
Add garlic cloves (unpeeled) around the capsicum
Drizzle the capsicum with olive oil
Put lid on the casserole dish and place in the oven

Balsamic Tomatoes

Slice the tomatoes in half, place in oven-safe casserole dish
Drizzle with balsamic and olive oil on the tomatoes
Sprinkle fresh oregano over the tomatoes
Put a lid on the casserole dish and place in the oven, setting a timer for 30 minutes
Get a medium/small pan and plan on an element set to high

Garnishes/Pasta/Plating

Put 100g of pine nuts in the pan
Toss and move so they don’t burn, do this until they are aromatic and slightly golden, remove from heat and set aside.
Put pot of salted water on to boil
Add pasta and cook as per cooking instructions
Check to see of capsicum and garlic is cooked – the capsicum should be soft if prodded with a fork
Remove casserole dish with capsicum garlic from the oven and remove capsicum and garlic using tongs (the oil will be extremely hot so be extra careful!)
Cut the capsicum using a knife and fork and remove garlic cloves from their skins and cut into small pieces
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a bowl, add in capsicum and garlic plus olive oil and toss
Add pasta to serving plates
Once the tomato time goes off remove from the oven and add tomatoes to the pasta, drizzling tomato/balsamic juice over the pasta
Sprinkle with pine nuts and add grated parmesan/pepper to taste