Pasta With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
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Sweet cherry tomatoes roasted in extra virgin olive oil and served over freshly cooked pasta. Sprinkled with some Parmesan cheese – a perfect meal for a weeknight that your whole family will enjoy.
Why do we love this recipe?
- Simple recipe. Easy to make, easy clean up.
- This recipe is healthy. Packed with fresh tomatoes, lots of garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs.
- Family and budget-friendly. What kid doesn’t like pasta, right? Use spaghetti instead of penne pasta for more added fun.
There are some days when you are left with absolutely nothing in the fridge and there is no time for shopping and the kids are hungry! Yes, today was one of those days. All I had were two punnets of cherry tomatoes, I found some basil leaves in our herb garden, (which is a miracle!) And guess what? We had the most delicious dinner, amazing pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
This is one of my favorite pasta recipes to cook. It is not only super easy to prepare but it also requires a handful of simple ingredients.
- Your favourite gluten-free pasta.
- Ripe cherry tomatoes.
- Balsamic vinegar.
- Gluten-free soy sauce. I know this one is very unexpected for Italian seasoning, but it really adds some great flavours to this delicious recipe.
- Maple syrup. We will only need a little to balance the flavours.
- Fresh basil leaves.
- Lots of fresh garlic 😁 NO, garlic powder won’t work. 😉
- Good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
See the whole ingredients list in the recipe card below.
How to make the roasted cherry tomato sauce
Prepare the tomatoes by washing and draining them. Prick each tomato with a sharp knife. Just one prick is enough.
Line a baking tray or a baking dish with some parchment paper. I don’t recommend using aluminium foil in cooking. Various studies have shown that it can be damaging to our health. You can use an oven-proof cast iron pan.
In a large bowl mix olive oil, fresh garlic (minced or grated), soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, basil leaves and a pinch of salt. Add tomatoes and mix well so tomatoes are coated in the mixture.
Roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven for about 30 minutes. Check occasionally that they are not getting burnt. We want them perfectly blistered, juicy and full of flavour.
While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pasta and, grate some Parmesan cheese.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the roasted cherry tomato sauce. Mix the pasta with the sauce and sprinkled some Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve with some fresh torn parsley or basil leaves.
And here you go, roasted cherry tomato pasta for dinner is ready. Sometimes it just has to be quick and this recipe is a perfect easy weeknight dinner.
More easy recipes for quick dinner
How to cook gluten-free pasta
Make sure you have a large pot of water. Gluten-free pasta needs a lot of water so it doesn’t get mushy. Add a teaspoon of sea salt. Bring water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions over medium heat, until the pasta is al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
How to store
You have a number of ways how to store this delicious dish.
- Precook the sauce and refrigerate it in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. Add it to the freshly cooked pasta, toss for a couple of minutes over low heat to warm the sauce up and enjoy a quick dinner.
- Have some leftovers from dinner with pasta already mixed with the sauce? It will make a great cold lunch the next day. Take it out of the fridge an hour before serving so the pasta comes to room temperature. Add some extra parmesan cheese. Buon appetito!
How to freeze
Just like refrigerating the sauce, you can freeze it. I like using Ziploc bags to freeze the leftovers. They don’t take much space in the freezer and the sauce defrosts super fast. Take it out of the freezer in the morning, and let it defrost naturally in the fridge. Add it to the freshly cooked pasta, and warm it up. An easy weeknight dinner with homemade tomato sauce is served!
Tips and tricks
Reserve some pasta water before draining the noodles. The salty, starchy water is a great addition to the sauce if you need more liquid.
Do not use any other oil in this recipe. Especially avoid using vegetable oil. Olive oil is the perfect link to bring all the flavours together. Plus it is the healthiest option there is. The Mediterranean diet is famous for a reason!
Some questions you might have
I personally find the grape tomatoes too small for this recipe. They won’t give you as much sauce as the cherry tomatoes.
Cherry tomatoes are the best for this recipe because they have this natural sweetness. However, if you can’t find any cherry tomatoes, feel free to use any large tomatoes you have on hand. Cut them into smaller bites and proceed with the recipe.
If you don’t have or simply don’t like using parmesan cheese, you can try mozzarella or goat’s cheese instead. Or use vegan cheese for a vegan option.
Al dente is Italian for “to the tooth”. This is when the pasta is cooked but it is still a little firm when you bite it. Al dente pasta absorbs the sauce better than fully cooked pasta. But of course, it’s a matter of preference.
Serving suggestions
While the first that comes to mind is to serve these scrumptious roasted tomatoes with some pasta, there are other ways you can enjoy it too.
- You can use it to top the fresh sourdough bread and make bruschetta.
- Add a spoonful of sauce to your breakfast eggs. The fried eggs taste delicious with roasted tomatoes.
- Serve it with baked fish or over some chicken meatballs.
- Add some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
If you made this recipe, please consider leaving me a star rating or leave a comment below. Thank you and enjoy!
Pasta With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 500 g gluten-free pasta I use Buon Tempo gluten-free and wheat-free pasta
- 2-3 punnets ripe cherry tomatoes (aproximatelly 3 cups)
- A handful of fresh basil leaves torn
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted organic melted butter add an additional spoon of olive oil if you don't want to use butter.
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare a baking tray by lining it with some parchment paper.
- Wash and dry the tomatoes and prick them with a sharp knife. If you are in a hurry cut your tomatoes in halves, it will reduce the roasting time.
- Mix olive oil, melted butter, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, maple syrup, basil leaves and a pinch of salt.
- Toss tomatoes in the mixture.
- Transfer them to a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure they aren't burning.
- Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to the cooking instructions. Reserve ½ a cup of water before draining the pasta.
- When the tomatoes are roasted nicely, take the tray out and add cooked pasta to the tray and mix well. Add a little bit of the reserved water if the pasta is dry. Do not add too much, you don't want to dilute the flavour.
- Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle fresh Parmesan on top and enjoy!
Notes
- Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. It is a great addition to the sauce if you need some more liquid.
- Use a large Dutch oven or a baking dish instead of a baking tray.
How good is this!! Everyone absolutely loved it. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Nisha!
Elena,
What is 2-3 punnets ripe cherry tomatoes? Does it mean pints?
Hi, punnet is 200-250 gramm. Approximately 3 cups of cherry tomatoes. Thank you for your question, I will update the recipe.