Fall brings the bounty of tomatoes, basil and much more. Older daughter, Megan, told me about a roasted tomato and pesto sauce she made. I tweaked it a bit to serve my tastes. I love the idea of adding pesto to a rich, red tomato sauce. It was delicious and definitely a new recipe for my collection.

ROASTED TOMATO AND PESTO SAUCE

1 pound Italian sausage, cooked and drained
3 cups roasted tomatoes and peppers, cooled and blended (recipe below)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, diced
Cube of pesto (about 1/3 cup)
26.5 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped or blended
1 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped basil
1 pound cooked pasta (I used bow tie pasta) and 1 cup of pasta water
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

• Core and slice tomatoes. Halve and remove seeds from peppers.
• Arrange the tomatoes and peppers on a heavy cookie sheet (I line with parchment paper).  Drizzle with Avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt.
• Roast at 400 degrees until the edges of the vegetables start to char and are cooked through.
• Blend the mixture to a smooth consistency.
• Cook and drain the sausage.Drain and set aside.
• Saute onions in olive oil and when almost cooked through, add the garlic. Continue to salute until garlic is cooked through.
• Add roasted tomatoes and peppers, pesto, San Marzano tomatoes, water, basil and sausage.
• Heat thoroughly.
• Add 1 cup of pasta water to sauce. Stir.  Add drained, cooked pasta, and stir to mix thoroughly.
• Serve with Parmesan cheese.