Roasted Roma Tomato Soup

Preheat the oven to 375F. Rinse and slice the tomatoes in half, and line them (cut side up) on a cookie sheet. Give a generous coating of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes. (They will look dried out, edges turning a bit brown. Not too much though!) Allow to cool to room temperature.

Saute the garlic and onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and tender, about 5 minutes.

Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil (yes, all of it!) in a food processor and blend until totally pureed.

Put the tomato basil mixture in a large sauce pan over medium heat, adding the stock, tomato paste, tomato sauce and red pepper flakes. Mix until well combined and then bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste every now and then, adding salt and pepper as desired.

Make some grilled cheese sammiches… (this step is optional, but they go so well together!)