Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork

I brought back a big string of garlic bulbs from our holiday in France recently – and now I’ve got to use them!

This recipe for Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chilli Sauce is a great way to get started.

It’s perfect for freezing in batches, but I’ve used it in a midweek meal to accompany crispy-skin pan-fried chicken breast and green salad.

Very simple to make – just grab yourself some garlic.

Makes enough sauce for 4 people

1 ½ head garlic
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp hot sauce
2 tbsp dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary)
400g can chopped tomatoes, with juice

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork, Lay The Table

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Slice the tops off the garlic bulbs to expose the flesh. Lay the bulbs on a sheet of tin foil and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Warp tightly in the foil and cook in the oven for 1 hour, or until the garlic flesh is very soft and you can squeeze the flesh out of the skins like puree.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork, Lay The Table

2. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large frying pan and gently cook the onion and chilli for 10-12 mins until very soft.

3. Add the tomato puree and balsamic vinegar and stir through.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice and a cup of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Add the herbs and stir through.Cook for 45 mins.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork, Lay The Table

5. Remove the garlic from the oven and, taking care not to burn yourself, take a sheet of kitchen towel and squeeze the soft garlic flesh into the tomato sauce. Continue to cook for a further 30 mins.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork, Lay The Table

6. Remove from the heat and cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for 3 months. When ready to use, re-heat/de-frost and re-heat and use to dress pasta, chicken or pork – as I’ve done here with this pan-fried chicken breast, served with green salad and Parmesan new potatoes.

Roasted Garlic, Tomato and Chill Sauce for Pasta, Chicken or Pork, Lay The Table

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