Bucatini with Butter-Roasted Tomato Sauce

A luxurious pasta dish featuring a low-maintenance roasted tomato sauce made with butter, garlic, and anchovies. The sauce develops a rich, deep flavor from roasting canned tomatoes with aromatics, creating a silky coating for bucatini or spaghetti.

4 servings

55 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•1 can whole peeled tomatoes
•8 cloves garlic
•2 fillets anchovies
•¼ cup unsalted butter
•½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
•1 to taste kosher salt and black pepper
•12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti
•1 to taste Parmesan cheese

Cooking Instructions

1.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine tomatoes (crushing them with your hands), garlic, anchovies, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a 13x9" baking dish; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is very soft and mixture is jammy, 35-40 minutes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash to break up garlic and tomatoes.
40 min
2.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
12 min
3.
Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan and more red pepper flakes.
3 min
4.
Tomato sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat before mixing with pasta.
5.
You may never stir again once you've given this low-maintenance tomato sauce a try. Roasting coaxes depth from canned tomatoes, instilling a long-cooked flavor. A generous amount of garlic and anchovies adds even more character. Here are other ways to use the wonderful sauce beyond pasta:
6.
Tomato Soup: Purée with vegetable or chicken stock and a splash of cream for a warming bowl.
7.
Omelet: Fold a spoonful inside an omelet along with pieces of smoked mozzarella.
8.
Pizza: It is tomato sauce, after all. Spread it on pizza dough and shower with Parmesan. Bake and top with more anchovies, parsley, and lemon zest.

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine tomatoes (crushing them with your hands), garlic, anchovies, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a 13x9" baking dish; season with salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until garlic is very soft and mixture is jammy, 35-40 minutes. Using a potato masher or fork, mash to break up garlic and tomatoes.

40 min

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

12 min

Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing until sauce coats pasta, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan and more red pepper flakes.

3 min

Tomato sauce can be made 4 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat before mixing with pasta.

You may never stir again once you've given this low-maintenance tomato sauce a try. Roasting coaxes depth from canned tomatoes, instilling a long-cooked flavor. A generous amount of garlic and anchovies adds even more character. Here are other ways to use the wonderful sauce beyond pasta:

Tomato Soup: Purée with vegetable or chicken stock and a splash of cream for a warming bowl.

Omelet: Fold a spoonful inside an omelet along with pieces of smoked mozzarella.

Pizza: It is tomato sauce, after all. Spread it on pizza dough and shower with Parmesan. Bake and top with more anchovies, parsley, and lemon zest.