Roasted courgette and tomato sauce

Step by Step

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220˚C, gas mark 7. Spread the courgettes out in a single layer in a large roasting tin and toss with 2 tbsp oil; season. Pile the tomatoes into a second, smaller roasting tin, tossing with 1 tbsp oil. Season and tuck the (peeled) garlic cloves underneath the tomatoes so they aren’t exposed.

Step 2

Put the courgettes at the top of the oven with the tomatoes underneath. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring both trays halfway through. Stir again, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4, and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove both trays from the oven and crush the tomatoes and garlic with a fork to make a rough sauce (the garlic might still be quite firm).

Step 3

Add the sauce to the courgettes and return to the oven for 10 minutes to thicken. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp oil with the torn basil, then season. The sauce should be intense and the courgettes meltingly soft. Serve as a sauce for pasta, or spoon over grilled chicken or fish, with a sprinkling of pine nuts, if liked.