Pastina Risotto With Roasted Tomato And Pepper Sauce

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 28 ounces whole canned tomatoes
• 3 red peppers, cored and cut into large pieces
• 10 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 lb pastina (i used acini de pepe)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated plus extra for serving
• 6 cups fresh spinach, firmly packed and torn

Recipe

• 1 to make the sauce, put the rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the broiler to high.
• 2 smash the tomatoes by hand and put them and their juice in a large bowl.
• 3 add the peppers, garlic, oil, vinegar and rosemary.
• 4 season with salt and pepper and mix the ingredients well.
• 5 pour out into a shallow baking pan and place the pan on the middle rack of the oven under the broiler for 15 minutes.
• 6 give the mixture a good stir and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
• 7 puree the mixture in a food processor.
• 8 put aside 1-1/2 cups to make the pasta and freeze the remainder for future use.
• 9 to make the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• 10 add the pastina and cook for half the time recommended on the package. the pasta should still be very firm in the centre as it will cook more.
• 11 reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
• 12 drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together.
• 13 heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over high heat.
• 14 add the garlic and saute until browned.
• 15 add the oregano and cook briefly to release its fragrance, then add 1-1/2 cups water.
• 16 bring the liquid to a boil, add the partially cooked pasta, and stir to coat.
• 17 add the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes.
• 18 add the roasted tomato and pepper sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, then stir in the spinach to wilt.
• 19 thin, if desired, with some of the reserved pasta water.
• 20 remove from the heat, place in serving bowls and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
• 21 serve warm.