Name: Oven-Dried Tomato Sauce with Pancetta and Hot Pepper
Total time: 7 h
Ingredients: 2 pounds plum tomatoes (as uniform in size as possible), halved lengthwise, cored, seeded and skin pricked 6 to 8 times with tip of a sharp knife; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 medium onions , chopped medium; 8 ounces pancetta , thin-sliced; 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (preferably plum), drained and chopped; 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Why This Recipe Works

We developed our oven-dried tomato recipe to eliminate the need to purchase sun-dried tomatoes. In the process we learned a few tricks. Slicing the tomatoes in half lengthwise before coring them proved useful, as did scooping out all the seeds and gelatinous matter with a teaspoon. In the oven, the tomatoes dried most evenly on a wire rack placed on a foil-lined tray to catch any juices. We also found that a low oven temperature of 200 degrees worked better for our oven-dried tomato recipe than the low temperatures found in many cookbooks.

Before You Begin

Oven-dried tomatoes add flavor depth to this pasta sauce. Substitute fatty prosciutto or even bacon for the pancetta if you like. Serve this sauce over bucatini or rotelle, passing Parmesan cheese separately. This highly concentrated sauce is enough to flavor one and one-half pounds of pasta.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to middle and low positions; heat oven to 200 degrees. Line large tray or cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

Place tomatoes, cut side down, on large wire rack. Set wire rack on middle oven rack and foil-lined tray on lower rack. Dry, oven door closed, until desired texture is attained, 5 to 6 hours for leathery-textured ones. When dry and cool, place in airtight containers. (Leathery- textured tomatoes can be refrigerated up to 6 months.) If any off flavors or smells develop during storage, it may be due to mold or other bacteria; throw away the entire batch.

Place dried tomatoes in small heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand until plump, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving tomato water. Chop coarse and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat butter, oil, and red pepper flakes in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Add pancetta; sauté until just crisp, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Add dried and canned tomatoes; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. If sauce is too thick, thin it with a little of the reserved tomato water if you like.