Roasted cherry tomato pasta with sage

Cut the tomatoes in half one at a time, pinching each from above and threading the knife through; halved tomatoes cook faster and do not burst.

Put the tomatoes on a sheet pan with thinly sliced shallot, garlic if wanted (not chopped too fine), a drizzle of olive oil, pepper and salt; toss to coat. Cut side down gives more char on the skin, cut side up more cooking overall.

Roast in a really hot oven or under the broiler, 10 minutes max; stop before the tomatoes look done if they are to hold together.

Boil the pasta in salted water and drain.

Scrape the vegetables onto the drained pasta with a spatula, add fresh sage and a little raw olive oil, and stir only enough to combine and break up the tomatoes a little; stirring too much leaves loose skins in the sauce.

Variation: for a smooth sauce, push the roasted vegetables through a sieve set in a bowl with a wooden spoon (or a food mill) until only dry fibres are left; mix a few fibres back in for texture. Toss with spaghetti and a little basil.