Pasta with roasted tomatoes, chilli & garlic

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Put the tomatoes cut side up in a roasting tray and pour over the oil. Put the garlic cloves between the tomatoes and any tomato stems if you have them, as they will flavour the oil. Scatter with dried chilli (if using – add fresh chilli later on), season with salt and pepper, and roast for 15–20 minutes or until the tomatoes just start to collapse and brown. After 10 minutes stir the fresh chilli (if using fresh instead of dried) into the oil (fresh chilli might burn if put on top of the tomatoes at the beginning).
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta to coincide with the end of the cooking time for the tomatoes.
3. When the tomatoes are cooked, remove the tray from the oven and use the flat of a wooden spoon to squeeze the soft garlic out of their skins. Mix this gently with the tomatoes and discard the garlic skins as well as the tomato stems. Pour the drained pasta into the hot tray. Add the basil leaves and use a pair of tongs to combine, then serve straight away in warmed bowls, scattered with the Parmesan.