Pasta with Roasted Plum Tomatoes
Prep Time: 25 minutes |Â Cook Time:Â 3 – 4 hours | Total Time: 3 – 4Â hours |Â Serves: 6 – 8
Don’t be fooled thinking this is a meal with anything bland. The tomatoes yield a depth of flavor when roasted. Drizzling a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil over the top of fresh basil, salted pasta, and sweet roasted tomatoes is a plate of deliciousness.
Roasting the tomatoes brings out a flavor unlike eating them fresh. Some slight caramelization makes these super-delicious. If you’re only used to eating them fresh on salads or burgers, or even in homemade marinara, try roasting them in the oven. It’ll be a game-changer. Check out my recipe for Roasted Plum Tomatoes!
Roasting the tomatoes ahead of time makes dinner a little more convenient. You can make a whole batch and use them over the next few days, mixing up how you serve them.
I chose Roma tomatoes for their meatiness and low moisture; I was thrilled with how these turned out. San Marzano tomatoes, another plum-shaped tomato, would be a good choice for roasting, too! Save those Beefsteak tomatoes for a backyard-charcoal-grilled burger!
Enjoy!
Pasta with Roasted Plum Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Roasted Plum Tomatoes, see below
- 1 pound noodle pasta, fettuccine, linguine, etc.
- 1 - 2 tablespoons excellent-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, optional
- Parmesan cheese, shredded, optional
Roasted Plum Tomatoes:
- 15 plum tomatoes, Roma, San Marzano, etc.
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 - 2 tablespoons excellent-quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press, optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh hot chile pepper, finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a large cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper for easier clean up.
- Place the tomato halves or slices into a large bowl.
- Add salt, black pepper, oil, and any optional ingredients. (If you would like, just sprinkle any optional ingredients over a few tomatoes instead of blending with the whole batch.)
- Place your tomatoes on the cookie sheet, cut side up.
- If you have decided to add the optional ingredients, this is the time to sprinkle them. I chose to do this because I only wanted a few with the heat from a hot chile pepper.
- Place the pan in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check for doneness. If you like how the tomatoes look, you can remove from the oven. If you’d like less moisture and a little more caramelizing in your tomatoes, place the pan back into the oven for another 30 minutes to an hour.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven and use while still warm, or cool and store in refrigerator for 1 week.
- In the last 30 minutes of roasting the tomatoes, cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente and drain. Be sure to salt your water; it adds flavor. Also, your pasta of choice will determine the cook time.
- Drain the pasta and toss with oil.
- To assemble: Place the warm, freshly cooked pasta to either a large serving bowl, or individual bowls. Top with roasted tomatoes, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil and cheese.
- Serve warm.
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