XO Sauce Pappardelle

Preheat the oven to 250°C/480°F. 

In a baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until blistered and starting to char. 

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to the boil. 

Heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for half a minute. Stir in the XO sauce and cook for another half a minute. Then stir in the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Add the roasted tomatoes along with their juices. Stir and break up the tomatoes a little. Allow to bubble away for a few minutes while your pasta cooks. 

Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Just before you take the pasta out, scoop up one cup of the pasta water. Then drain and add the pasta to the tomato sauce mixture. 

Toss the pasta and the sauce along with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water (add more if the sauce becomes too thick). Keep the pan on low heat and keep toss the pasta until the sauce is thick and sticking to the pasta strands. Divide among plates. Top with cheese and basil leaves and serve. 

– XO sauce is a popular condiment used to flavour many types of Chinese dishes. Its main ingredients are dried seafood and cured ham, that typically are very premium and expensive, hence it was named after XO cognac. You can find it online or from Asian grocery stores.