Rustic Roasted Tomato Sauce with Pancetta

How to prepare rustic roasted tomato sauce with pancetta

1. Drain the tomatoes of their juice and place them without it in a heat-resistant dish. Cut the regular tomatoes in half, and leave the cherry tomatoes whole. Pour only the juice from one can over them (I chose the juice from the cherry tomatoes because it's sweeter), sprinkle with salt, then drizzle with olive oil.
2. Roast the tomatoes in the oven at 250°C (480°F) for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. When done, crush the tomatoes with a fork, but leave some cherry tomatoes whole.
4. In a wide pan (about 24-28 cm), fry the pancetta cut into not too small strips (or cubes), starting over low heat until it renders its fat. Cook just until lightly browned, don't make them crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan but leave the fat. If there's too much fat in the pan, remove some—you should have just a thin layer on the bottom. If there's not enough, add a little olive oil.
5. Add the onion diced into small cubes. Sauté over low heat until softened, without browning (about 5 minutes). Add the crushed garlic and bay leaf broken in half, and sauté briefly until fragrant (about 1 minute).
7. Pour in the roasted tomatoes, turn heat to medium, and stir just until combined. Let everything simmer together for a few minutes (about 2-3 min), tasting for salt and grinding black pepper. During this time, try not to stir the sauce—instead, shake the pan with back-and-forth movements.
8. Add the pancetta to the sauce, but reserve a few pieces for garnish if desired. Stir gently and turn off the heat.
9. Serve with short pasta (toss cooked pasta directly in the sauce in the pan), with eggs (portion sauce into 3-4 plates and place 1-2 poached or fried eggs on top; add a piece of toasted bread), or as a side with grilled chicken breast. Grate Pecorino on top—it pairs well, especially with the pasta or egg versions.

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