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You are here: Home / Main Dish Recipes / Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

May 14, 2019 by cathyscooking@gmail.com 1 Comment

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Beef-Zucchini Meatballs in casserole dish and a small bowl of shredded Parmesan for passing.

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes pairs up with Beef-Zucchini Meatballs

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Simply Delicious!

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This is one of those recipes that is so simple, it hardly needs a recipe. But that’s one of the things I love about Italian cooking. They treat food simply and with respect. There are of course complex, long-simmering Italian dishes. But there are also recipes based on a few simply prepared, quality ingredients which are sublime. This is one of those recipes.

Why it Works:

  • Super sweet cherry tomatoes combined with olive oil, Parmesan and fresh bread crumbs create a light sauce that clings nicely to the pasta. Try my version which uses a mix of heirloom cherry tomatoes.
Cherry Tomatoes prepped for roasting
  • Use whatever pasta you prefer. The original NY Times Cooking recipe used penne, but I had bucatini on hand so I used that.
  • Very flexible recipe which is great as it, but can also be customized to your heart’s content. I added crushed red pepper, but it would also be delicious with fresh basil, oregano, slivered kalamata olives, etc..
  • Can be served as a side dish or as a main dish with the addition of some sauteed chicken, sausage or…..

Try with Beef-Zucchini Meatballs

Beef-Zucchini Meatballs with Roasted Spaghetti Squash and a glass of red wine

Actually I decided to make this recipe because I had a double batch of of my Beef-Zucchini Meatballs in the freezer. Initially they were for a dinner party that ended up being cancelled.

While it’s nice to have a stash of tasty meatballs in the freezer, I was in need of a new idea for serving them. I had already made meals with the traditional marinara and vodka sauces and wanted to try something new. The reason this Roasted Cherry Tomato sauce works so well is because the meatballs are very tender and don’t require a heavy sauce to taste good. A delicious combo I encourage you to try!

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Beef-Zucchini Meatballs with dish of shredded Parmesan

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Roasted cherry tomatoes with Parmesan and fresh bread crumbs makes a delicious light sauce for your favorite pasta.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cherry tomatoes, Easy Meal, Parmesan, pasta
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: NY Times Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small cherry tomatoes halved
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • crushed red pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano with additional for serving
  • ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs
  • ½ pound pasta

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up. Pour oil on top, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough sea salt so that water tastes mildly of salt. When tomatoes are just about done, add pasta to water and cook until al dente (it should be pliable, but still firm in center). Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to casserole. Fold tomatoes and pasta together, adding another 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the crush red pepper, if using. If it is dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Serve, passing more grated cheese at the table.

Notes

Try Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with the Beef-Zucchini Meatballs (shown in recipe photo.) 
 
 

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Filed Under: Main Dish Recipes Tagged With: cherry tomatoes, easy recipe, Italian, meatballs, pasta, pasta sauce

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  1. Pasta with Shrimp and Roasted Tomatoes - Its Thyme 2 Cook says:
    December 8, 2022 at 10:38 AM

    […] on how to prepare a recipe that would let the pasta shine through. That’s when my Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomato recipe came to mind because it serves as a light sauce. But I had marinated shrimp on the brain as the […]

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