Meat-free Bolognese sauce

dscn9987Roast 500g truss tomatoes (leave them on the stem) in a hot oven until slightly blackened on the skin and soft.

Meanwhile, dice a zucchini or two, a brown onion, a capsicum or two, and finely chop the leaves from a bunch of basil with about four or five cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of chipotle powder and some salt. Saute the diced veg in olive oil until softened (but not too soft as you want some texture in the zucchini) and add the basil/garlic mix. Saute for a little longer just to take the DSCN1685edge of the garlic, then deglaze with a glass of white wine. Continue to cook until the wine is absorbed and/or evaporated, but not to bone-dry. (Depending upon the timing, the veg can be left to sit off the heat at this point until the tomatoes are ready.)

Pull the skins and the stems off the tomatoes, puree in a blender with a generous pinch of salt, then add to the sauteed veg over heat. Cook over low-medium heat until all the watery element to the tomatoes is gone, remove from the heat, and serve with your favourite pasta.