Recipes from the Co-op

Smoky Confit Tomato Pasta with Lemon

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2½ pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1½-inch pieces (or left whole, if bite-size)
1¼ cups olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 lemons, zest peeled into strips, avoiding the white pith
2 cinnamon sticks
2 small dried ancho chiles
1 head garlic, top ½ inch of the bulbs removed
10 fresh oregano sprigs, plus 1 sprig extra to serve
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound rigatoni pasta (or another similar shape)

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large (about 11-by-15-inch) roasting pan, add all the ingredients except for the pasta, and season with 1½ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread into an even layer, with the head of garlic facing cut-side down. Nestle the ancho chiles under the tomatoes, tearing in half if necessary to immerse them, then roast the mixture for 35 minutes, until the tomatoes are tender and lightly charred. Use tongs to squeeze the garlic cloves into the pan, discarding the papery skins. Remove and finely chop the ancho chiles, then return to the pan, discarding the stems.
While the tomato confit roasts, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta a few minutes before the tomatoes have finished cooking, and cook as per packet instructions. Reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water, then strain the pasta. Add the pasta to the roasting pan and gently stir to combine until the pasta has absorbed any cooking liquid from the pan. Add some pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce clings nicely to the pasta.
Discard the cinnamon sticks and serve straight from the pan, with the extra oregano sprinkled on top.