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This Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta is a simple, rustic pasta made with fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic, olive oil, pasta, and Parmesan cheese.
Light and fresh Cherry Tomato Pasta is simple to make and such a delicious homemade meal. Make it a complete meal and serve with a copycat Olive Garden Salad and some Garlic Bread.
If you loved this roasted tomato pasta recipe, you’ll want to be sure and try my Creamy Baked Feta Pasta, too.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Cherry Tomatoes – These are the small, juicy round tomatoes that pop when you bite into them. They burst open when they’re roasted and created a delicious sauce. They are sometimes harder to find year round so grape tomatoes are a fine substitution.
- Garlic – With only a few ingredients in this recipe, fresh garlic is highly recommended.
- Pasta – My preference is linguine, but really any long pasta will work.
- Red Pepper Flakes – For a little heat.
- Fresh basil – There’s just nothing better in a pasta dish than fresh basil. It’s bright flavor is essential to this recipe. Fresh herbs make such a different in pasta sauce.
- Olive Oil – Combined with the cherry tomatoes to create a rich sauce.
- Fresh Parmesan Cheese – Optional, but great for topping your pasta and adding a nutty, salty flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – as needed.
How To Make Roasted Tomato Pasta
Be sure to check the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions.
- Place tomatoes and garlic in a large baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and toss with herbs and seasonings.
- Place the dish in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes. While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot. Save some of the pasta water for the sauce.
- The tomatoes will be shriveled and bursting with juiciness. Toss pasta with cherry tomatoes, adding pasta water as needed to create a consistency you like.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish.
FAQs
Plum tomatoes are the best for making a smooth spaghetti sauce. For a rustic tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes are delicious. Add them to pizza, pasta, or your morning eggs!
Yes! If you happen to have an overabundance of cherry tomatoes in your garden, they are super easy to freeze. Just lay them out on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer. Once the tomatoes are frozen, you can toss them into a freezer bag and keep them to use in the off-season.
Serving Suggestions
This pasta makes a delicious, light, and fresh vegetarian meal. If you’re looking to stretch it to feed more people or bulk it up to make it a little heartier, here are some great options.
- Chicken is the obvious choice for adding some lean protein. Our Oven Baked Chicken Breasts or Grilled Chicken Thighs would be perfect.
- Serve pasta with a large salad like our Caesar Salad Recipe or a Simple Spinach Salad.
- Bread goes with everything, so a crusty loaf of Italian bread or some buttery Homemade Garlic Breadsticks would be a great addition.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Storage: Place leftover pasta in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Pasta can be hit or miss in the fridge. It can get a little mushy so proceed with caution. Place in an airtight container and freeze for 4-6 months.
Reheating: If frozen, thaw completely first. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Make sure to save some pasta water for the sauce.
- Use any color of cherry tomatoes for a super colorful pasta dish.
- For the best taste and flavor, I highly recommend using fresh ingredients instead of dried or jarred.
- Drizzle on some balsamic vinegar for an extra tangy finish.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Lemon Butter Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- One Pan Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Kale
- Easy One Pan Buttered Noodles
- Garlic Tomato & Shrimp Pasta
Roasted Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- fresh basil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 pound linguine or bucatini pasta
- fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Arrange the tomatoes and garlic in a large baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.
- When tomatoes are finished, remove them from the oven and toss with the pasta, adding small amounts of the pasta water if needed, or a drizzle of olive oil. Top with fresh basil and fresh grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Thank you for this easy delicious recipe. I used yellow cherry tomatoes which I get in an abundance from my “Mighty Mato” plant. I put the pasta directly into the pan with the roasted tomato / garlic etc. mixture and added a pat of butter and the sauce was creamy and delicious with grated Parmesan cheese on top. The sauce was actually very creamy without any added cream. Delicious!!
You are so welcome Babs! Thanks for the awesome feedback.