I whipped this up last weekend when my bestie, Liv, visited. It is yet another attempt to resurrect a dish from the recently deceased Vegiterranean vegan restaurant. (No, I won't shut up about it, I am still VERY SAD.) My all-time
favorite pasta dish was their Tuscan Gnocchi... a creamy roasted tomato sauce with artichokes, wild mushrooms, and greens over the most tender potato gnocchi... *sob*. Here's my attempt to replicate their out-of-this-world sauce (serves 2):
Creamy Roasted Tomato Sauce with Artichokes
2 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks (variety doesn't matter - I used what I had)
3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 large onion, cut into strips
2/3 c artichoke hearts (I used fresh, but you can use canned/jarred if you drain the oil)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/4 c Italian-style Daiya
1 large handful of arugala
2-servings-worth of bowtie pasta
1. Spray a baking pan with olive oil and scatter the tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Spray again with the oil and roast at 400 degrees for approx. 40 minutes, checking and tossing every 10 minutes.
2. Heat up the water for your pasta and whip out a saucepan for the sauce.
3. Give the roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic a whirl in a food processor with the balsamic vinegar until pretty smooth and transfer to the saucepan (med to med-low heat).
4. While your pasta is cooking, throw the artichokes and Daiya into the sauce and stir until the Daiya is nice and melty. Throw in the arugala and stir until it just wilts.
5. Top your pasta with the sauce and some fresh cracked black pepper and dig in.
If you have wild mushrooms, throw those in the mix for accuracy, but trust me - if you don't have 'em, you won't miss 'em. This sauce is fantastic enough by itself. A very satisfying comfort food-style pasta dish with an Italian twist. Enjoy!