Rigatoni with roasted cherry tomatoes & fennel seeds

     Hey y'all! I hope all is well with each & every one of you! So...I must ask...are you taking the time to workout and truly make your health a priority? I sure hope so! Remember, staying on top of your health is not being selfish! For me personally, I know that when I take care of myself and not slack in that department, I am a better wife and mother....& I am also setting a good example for my children. It's a win, win! So now...what y'all have all been waiting for...the next recipe!
     I'm here with another yummy...& easy, must I add : )...recipe! This one is a vegetarian option, but my carnivore husband ; ) gobbled it up without any hesitation! If you so desire a meat option with it, you can easily throw in some diced grilled chicken into the mix ; ). With this meal, we will be making home roasted tomatoes seasoned with fennel and garlic...my mouth is watering just thinking about it! Seriously, my house was taken over with this magnificent scent of garlic and olive oil that just brought me back to my days of the time that I lived in Italy and could go to an authentic trattoria.  These home roasted tomatoes will have the concentrated flavor of sun dried tomatoes, but because they are only half dried, they will still have enough moisture to create a simple pasta sauce with a quick and stern stir. This is not only a tasty dinner option, but is very healthy and light...with all the fat(aside from the light topping of parmesan) coming from heart healthy extra virgin olive oil. An added bonus with this recipe...tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C and beta-carotene...so eat up ; )!!!

Ingredients

• 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbs fennel seeds
• 1 box rigatoni noodles
• sea salt to taste
• freshly shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the tomatoes (cut side up) in a single layer in a roasting pan lined with wax paper. In a separate container (preferably one with a spout, such as a measuring cup) mix the oil, garlic, and fennel seeds.  Drizzle the tomato halves with the oil mixture.  Season lightly with sea salt and cook in oven for 1 hour.
2. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente.  Reserve a ladleful of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pan.
3. Add the roasted tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, then add the reserved water and stir until the pasta is well coated in the "sauce." (The reserved pasta water contains some of the starches from the pasta so it helps to bind the "sauce" to the pasta) Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, if desired, and top with your desired amount of shredded parmesan cheese!

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! Let me know how it goes in the comments below!!!