Easy Roasted Tomato Pasta Recipe (With Fresh Basil)

This easy roasted tomato pasta recipe is made with juicy, slightly charred oven roasted tomatoes, a little olive oil, fresh mozzarella and pasta. To finish, we use fresh basil on every layer of pasta and every nook in the tomatoes.  I love not only the simplicity of this recipe but the versatility too. You can use use any tomatoes, from grape tomatoes and plum tomatoes to large tomatoes. Fresh pasta or dried pasta like spaghetti, fusilli or fettucine, they all make fabulous al dente pasta!

Easy Roasted Tomato & Pasta Recipe

You can use any roasted tomatoes for this recipe, oven-roasted tomatoes, slow roasted tomatoes. I have an easy recipe for either a whole lot of cherry tomatoes or larger tomatoes recipe that you will love!

Roasted tomatoes and basil:  This tomato and pasta recipe is very easy to make and a whole new level of delicious! If you love roasted tomatoes then you should definitely make it, and don't leave the fresh basil out, it adds fragrance, texture and stunning presentation.

Garlic cloves:  If tomatoes are in season right now where you are, then this is the best time to make this recipe.  You get perfect plump and juicy fresh tomatoes. While you are roasting the tomatoes, you may as well add fresh garlic in with the tomatoes to roast for some phenominal aromatics!

Pasta type:  Although homemade fresh pasta was used you can use any pasta. My suggestion would be to go with something like pappardelle or fettuccine, since they are flat and wide enough to complement the tomato slices. 

Keep every drop of pan juices when roasting the tomatoes! Serve them with a variety of dishes topped with olive oil and fresh basil.

Roasted tomatoes in olive oil not only intensifies the taste it's also a healthy and nutritional Mediterranean dish so if you have any Mediterranean genes in your family, you probably making this all the time!  

There is always some sort of tomato something happening in our kitchen from that long simmering sauce on a Sunday for lasagna, to crostini and spaghetti.  Once the tomatoes are roasted you can use them for so many dishes. The best tomatoes to use in recipes that call for tomateos are summer tomatoes or whenever your tomato season has arrived. 

This pasta and tomatoes is very handy because it's an easy pasta dish that serves as an easy weeknight meal. The garlic is an extra but I find, the best part of roasting tomatoes is adding garlic! 

Whole cloves of garlic, slice the end bit off, drizzle in olive oil and wait for the best aromatic fresh flavour. We like lots of garlic, once roasted you can simply squeeze the garlic cloves out. I eat them straight out the oven or add them over bread, salads, anything!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Delicious!  For a recipe that uses such simple ingredients, like roasted tomatoes and pasta, it's incredibly tasty!

Few Ingredients: There it is, this easy few ingredient tomato and pasta recipe, has the most basic ingredient list. These simple ingredients include the garnish like fresh basil and black pepper. If you like, a little sprinkle of red pepper flakes always add a pop of heat. 

Versatile:  This is a clean slate because you can add a protein, veggies and a different pasta type, just search the grocery stores for all the 100's of pasta shapes. 

Family friendly:  It serves the whole family! Pasta, parmesan cheese, fresh basil and olive oil is a tasty meal all on it's own. For the fussy eaters, serve the roasted tomatoes as a side dish with olive oil and fresh basil. 

Nutrition:  Tomatoes have added nutritional benefits; beta-carotene, lycopene, and vitamin C which are all antioxidants that protect against cell damage. There many more nutritional benefits to eating tomatoes according to Health.

Ingredients For Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes 

Let's talk about what you will need to make this simple recipe for dinner tonight. 

Pasta You can make this recipe with either homemade and store-bought dried pasta.  A cup or two of reserved pasta water is always a good idea to help the sauce along. 

Tomatoes: Roast any type of tomato that you choose but it takes anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. Cherry tomatoes take 20 minutes. This roasted tomato recipe uses Roma tomatoes (these are popular in South Africa) and they roast really well but we also love roasting small tomatoes too. 

Canned Whole Tomatoes:  Whole canned and not crushed because whole canned tomatoes have this unbelievably thick tomato sauce that's smooth and luxurious not watery. 

Tomato paste:  A generous dollop of tomato paste which is the equivalent to roughly one and a half tablespoons. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:  Again, good quality olive oil makes all the difference!  And not just a tablespoon of olive oil, we need much more. 

Fresh Mozzarella: Not the one for grating, it comes in water, so it's fresh. 

Parmesan Cheese You need very little parmesan for a light garnish, to grate just before serving. 

Fresh Basil Because basil, olive oil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella are married Mediterranean ingredients! They just go so well together.

How To Make This Great Recipe!

Prep good tomatoes (ripe):  Wash and slice the tomatoes.

Roasting the tomatoes: Roast the tomatoes in a preheated oven on 220°C /400°F. Fresh cherry tomatoes will roast for roughly 20 mintues at this heat.

You can also slow roast tomatoes in advance on a low heat of 160° C/320°F for roughly an hour. Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a sheet pan and you can add a tablepsoon or two of balsamic vinegar. 

Make the creamy tomato sauce: Over medium heat, simmer the canned tomatoes, passata and tomato paste for a depth of flavour. Towards the end of the simmer, add the fresh basil. This is not a garlicky sauce, neither does it have any onions, just a pinch of kosher salt and simmered tomatoes. 

Cook the pasta: In a large pot of salted water cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and reserve a cup of pasta water. One cup will be used in the sauce while it simmers and the other is reserved for the end of the recipe. 

Prep to serve:  Add the pasta into the tomato sauce, combine. Add the roasted tomatoes, drizzle any tomato pan juices over. Gradually add the reserved remaining pasta water into the pasta sauce and give the pan a gentle swirl. Do not pour the whole thing in! 

For more sauce, gradually add splashes of the remaining cup of the pasta water into the sauce. Add the fresh basil in-between your pasta layers and on top. Tear the fresh mozzarella, drizzle olive oil, salt and fresh black pepper.

Garnish / Serve: Use a little pasta water if your pasta needs that extra sauce to loosen it up. Add freshly grated parmesan, and serve. 

Roasted tomatoes make a fantastic tomato soup or why not make your own sun-dried tomatoes? Check this recipe out for more.  

Variation Ideas:

Pasta: For a lighter meal, you can substiture the pasta with wraps because roasted tomatoes serve beautifully with a fresh salad, a dip or sour cream. You wont need as much sauce.  You can also use rice as a substitute with roasted tomatoes or use the roasted tomatoes with bread and cheese!

More pasta alternatives are quinoa, couscous, chickpeas , brown rice and other noodle types. Wholewheat pasta, zucchini noodles and this lentils and rice. if you want to add any meat, serve roasted tomatoes as a side dish with parmesan, olive oil and fresh basil with a lamb slow roast, a Roast Chicken and Potatoes. We love serving roasted tomatoes over lamb chops!

Cheese:  Fresh mozzarella is fabulous with warm roasted tomatoes but so is feta cheese, so feel free to substitute. When we can find our favorite fresh mozzarella, we use it most of our pasta recipes. Mozzarella di Bufala is Italian for mozarella made from the milk of a water buffalo and it has a melt in your mouth creamy texture. If you want to subsitiute Parmesan cheese with Pecorino Romano consider the salt in pasta water, salt in the tomatoes and sea salt over everything, plus pecorino is a very salty cheese. 

Herbs:  Fresh basil is the herb of choice but any fresh herbs work when making cooked pasta. In the pasta sauce, you can also use Italian seasoning. 

Garlic: Add the garlic (whole cloves) in when roasting the tomatoes with a drizzle of oil. Roasted garlic will turn golden brown with a beautiful caramel color and you simply squeeze them out. 

Red Pepper Flakes:  This is another optional ingredient but red pepper flakes to finish are always a good idea for a little pop of heat. 

FAQ's

Which tomatoes are best for roasting? 

Any tomatoes are good for roasting, from larger tomatoes to smaller tomatoes just not under-ripe and not green tomatoes. We love using roma tomatoes since they seem to be the best of both worlds between slicing tomatoes and pasty tomatoes. 

What are roma tomatoes?

Roma tomatoes have an egg shape so they are already very different. They also have less seeds and moisture in them which makes roma tomatoes perfect for sauce recipes. 

Can I use jarred roasted tomatoes in this recipe? 

We often serve fresh or dried pasta with roasted tomato or jarred and they both serve delicious flavors in their own way. A good brand of jarred tomatoes goes a long way. 

How do I make this recipe gluten free? 

Simply use gluten free pasta instead of wheat pasta or opt for an even healthier verision by using zucchini noodles. 

Can I make this ahead of time? 

It's always a good idea to make part of the recipe ahead especially if there many other dishes to make or you may run short of time. To cut the steps in the recipe, use dried pasta or store-bought fresh pasta, any type, there are many!  Roast the tomatoes a day, or days ahead and once cooled, store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. 

Roast The Tomatoes Ahead

Follow this tomatoes recipe or see the recipe card below. Bring them to room temperature and use as per the recipe. To store them in the fridge, use a mason jar or a glass dish with a lid, close it tighly and store for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Make sure that the tomatoes are covered in olive oil before sealing. Freeze cold roasted tomatoes for up to 4 months in freezer bags or freezer friendly containers. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

​More Go-To Simple Side or Pasta Dishes

• Oven Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
• Baked Feta And Tomatoes
• Tomato Basil Pesto Tart
• Chicken In Tomato Sauce Recipe
• Easy Tomato Sauce With Parmigiano-Reggiano Rind
• Tomato, Bacon and Spaghetti

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