Quick Supper: Bolognese Sauce with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes ♥

Yes, it's THAT time of year again. ("What? Time of year? What time of year is it?" I just know you're wondering.) But this is a most pivotal time of year, the few weeks at the cusp of summer and autumn when we must-must-must slow-roast tomatoes so that for the rest of the year, we're able to pull the taste of sweet summer from our freezers on mere whim or sheer inspiration.

(My apologies to regular readers, you know this story. But new readers? Slow-roased tomatoes bear repeating!) In 2005, I became curious about -- okay, obsessed with -- slow-roasted tomatoes. I roasted, well, 15 batches. No wonder I've collected so many recipes for using slow-roasted tomatoes!

And don't let anyone lead you astray thinking that a mere four hours or so will 'slow-roast' tomatoes. Nope. You see, I've tested. From much trial, much error, I know that it takes 10 - 12 hours, yes hours! at 200F to create the real essence of slow-roasting.

So if you're wondering how to roast tomatoes, how to slow-roast tomatoes, how to really truly sloooooooooooow roast tomatoes -- and how to taste 'summer' in the middle of winter -- this, my friends, is how. And the recipe that follows is just one more reason, WHY.

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Twenty-five minutes to a one-skillet, simple supper.

Yes, it's one of the best things about slow-roasted tomatoes: so much flavor is already roasted in that all you really need to do is heat them up and serve. This is a bolognese sauce. It's "quick" to make on the spot but it's got the flavor of the "slow" cooked versions.

I tucked some leftover ham into it (and most bolognese sauces are heavy on meat, light on tomato) but honestly, it had so much flavor, so much tomato meatiness, it would have been completely delicious as a vegetarian bolognese.

FOR LOW-CARB EATERS If you're watch the carbs, Dreamfield's low-glycemic / low-carb pasta is now sold through Amazon, including the spaghetti, the penne and the linguine, the much-awaited lasagna, even elbows! Dreamfields is truly a wonder product for low-carb eaters who miss eating pasta. There's always a box or two in my pantry. And I promise, if you're been disappointed by other flavorless, low-carb cardboard pastas, Dreamfields is very good. You won't even know ... except you will!

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FROM THE ARCHIVES The Recipe Box has a collection of recipes for slow-roasted tomatoes.

TWO YEARS AGO Hurricane Rice, food blogging in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

GREAT FOOD BLOGS share BOLOGNESE RECIPES
Champaign Taste ... Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce
Simply Recipes ... Slow and Quick Bolognese Sauce
Seriously Good ... Ragu Bolognese

BOLOGNESE SAUCE with SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Salted water for pasta
Fresh or Dried Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, diced small
1 onion, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
6 garlic cloves, minced small
2 cups slow-roasted tomatoes (from 4 pounds) or 1 - 2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 pound ham (or other meat)
Freshly grated Parmesan

Start the water for the pasta. (Salt later if you can remember to do that. I always forget, so salt first, though this can damage your pans over the long-term.)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil til shimmery. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic til they're softening. Add the tomatoes and meat and heat through. Serve over pasta topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With Meat & Pasta (assumes 2 oz pasta per serving) Per Serving: 494 Cal (25% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 54% from Carb); 27 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 69 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb 61; 78 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 842 mg Sodium; 85 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 10 points

With No Meat, With Pasta (2 oz pasta per serving) Per Serving: 405 Cal (23% from Fat, 12% from Protein, 65% from Carb); 13 g Protein; 11 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 69 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb61; 74 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 90 mg Sodium; 54 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 8 points

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Very adapted from Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

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