Preheat the oven: Preheat on 220°C / 400°F.
Prep the tomatoes to roast: Rinse the whole fresh tomatoes, cut in half or quarters place onto a roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes. If roasting cherry tomatoes, these will take 20 minutes. See the full recipe for Roasted Tomatoes. 500 grams (500 grams) oven roasted tomatoes, 6 or an 8 pack or 200g cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup (59.15 ml) extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling, salt
Make the creamy tomato sauce: Over medium heat, simmer the canned tomatoes, passata and tomato paste for depth of flavour. Towards the end of the simmer, add the fresh basil.
400 grams (400 grams) canned whole tomatoes, 2 tbsps (1.97 tbsps) tomato paste, 2 cups tomato passata
Cook the pasta: In a large pot of salted water cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and reserve a cup of pasta water. One cup will be used in the sauce while it simmers and the other is reserved for the end of the recipe.
300 grams (300 grams) pasta, for approx. 4 people with a serving of 85 to 100grams per person.
Prep to serve: Add the pasta into the tomato sauce, combine. Add the roasted tomatoes, drizzle any tomato pan juices over. Gradually add the reserved remaining pasta water into the pasta sauce and give the pan a gentle swirl. Do not pour the whole thing of pasta water at once!
500 grams (500 grams) oven roasted tomatoes, 6 or an 8 pack or 200g cherry tomatoes, 2 cups (473.18 ml) reserved pasta water
For more sauce, gradually add splashes of the remaining cup of the pasta water into the sauce. Add the fresh basil in-between your pasta layers and on top. Tear the fresh mozzarella, drizzle olive oil, salt and fresh black pepper.
150 grams (150 grams) Fresh mozzarella, Fresh basil, black pepper, ¼ cup (59.15 ml) extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
Garnish / Serve: Use a little pasta water if your pasta needs that extra sauce to loosen it up. Add freshly grated parmesan, and serve.
¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated