Smoky, rich and ridiculously easy, this BBQ tomato pasta sauce is made for nights when you want maximum flavour with minimal effort. With the help of a barbecue, you’ll roast the tomatoes into a bold sauce that tastes like you’ve put in way more work than you actually have. Stir it through pasta, top with cheese and dinner’s done.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat barbecue with a hood to 200°C. On half the tomatoes, cut the core out of the tomatoes’ tops, cut a shallow cross in the skin on their bases, then cut tomatoes in half. Place, cut side down, in a greased roasting pan. Leave remaining tomatoes whole and place in roasting pan. Spoon over half the oil. Season. Cover pan tightly with foil. Turn off burners on one side of the barbecue and place roasting pan on that side. Close hood and cook with indirect heat for 15 minutes, until tomatoes soften. Remove pan. Close hood.
Place onion on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with damp paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute on HIGH/100% power, until softened.
Use tongs to lift skin off cut tomatoes and discard. Smash cut tomatoes with a fork. Add onion, thyme, garlic, chilli flakes and remaining oil to pan. Season. Return to barbecue. Close hood, barbecue using indirect heat for 15 minutes, until cut tomatoes are saucy. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
Combine sauce, pasta, basil and parmesan. Season, then serve.
