- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 (28 ounce) can whole Italian plum tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 (16 ounce) package ditalini pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Pour tomatoes and their juices into the dish; cut each tomato into 3 pieces. Sprinkle in onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons oregano; stir to combine.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove dish from oven, stir briefly, return to oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
- Transfer roasted tomato mixture to a saucepan; pour in water. Process mixture with an immersion blender or potato masher until desired sauce consistency is reached. Stir in 1 teaspoon oregano. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ditalini and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through but is still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and return to pot.
- Pour tomato sauce over ditalini; stir to combine. Stir in goat cheese.