Table of Contents
  1. Why this recipe works.
  2. Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
  3. Here’s how to make this recipe.
  4. These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
  5. Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
  6. You'll love these other pasta recipes.
  7. Watch how to make this recipe.
  8. Have I convinced you to make this recipe?
  9. Roasted Tomato Pasta Recipe

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This simple pasta dish is perfect for summer. Using produce that’s in season, this roasted and blended sauce with pasta makes the oven do all the work. Tomatoes, garlic, and shallot are combined to make a dish packed with flavor. Topped with creamy burrata and basil, this is a great garden-fed weeknight dish!

Why this recipe works.

Summer is all about the produce and what is in season. During the warm growing months, the best meals can be made with minimal effort. This pasta is an ode to one of the more prolific fruits, the cherry tomato. Even if you don’t grow these small, bite-sized tomatoes, they are in mounds at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. Any cherry tomato will be full of flavor and have a balanced sweet-acidic finish that makes this sauce perfect. After roasting the tomatoes with herbs and garlic, the excess liquid roasts away, and a rich sauce quickly blends together. Stirred with pasta, the meal is finished with burrata cheese. This dish becomes a staple the first time it is made, it’s quick, simple, and full of flavor.

Large brown stoneware bowl filled with roasted tomato pasta sitting on gray stone surface with ball of torn burrata in the middle along with basil leaves.

Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.

  • Cherry tomatoes are the star of the show when it comes to this recipe. The small size of these tomatoes means they have a sweeter flavor and less water content. Any color and variety will work.
  • Shallots have a sweet onion flavor that is not overpowering. Roasting them with tomatoes gives a rich and deeper flavor.
  • Rosemary, thyme, and basil add a fresh herbal flavor to the sauce. Any mixture of the herbs will work depending on what is available in your garden or farmers’ market.
  • Burrata cheese is a great way to add a creamy, rich finish to any pasta. The soft interior of the cheese melts into each serving of the pasta.
White marble surface filled with ingredients needed to make roasted tomato pasta including penne, shallot, cherry tomatoes, basil, herbs, and more.

Here’s how to make this recipe.

  1. Prepare and roast the tomatoes. Using the side of a knife, smash the garlic into pieces. Cut the shallots in half, leaving the skin intact. Chop the hot pepper into large pieces. Add the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and pepper to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and drizzle with the olive oil and salt. Place into the preheated 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
White marble surface with sheet pan filled with raw cherry tomatoes, shallots, and herbs all on piece of parchment right before going into the oven.
White marble surface with parchment-lined baking sheet filled with roasted cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic cloves, and herbs right after being removed from the oven.
  1. Cook the pasta. To a large stockpot, add water and bring it to a boil. Before adding the pasta, add some salt to the water. Then using the instructions on the package, cook the pasta until al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside. Reserve the pasta water for later.
Two hands holding brown bowl, pouring uncooked pasta into boiling water in kettle on stovetop.
Hand holding metal spoon lifting cooked pasta from a large kettle with boiling water set on the stovetop.
  1. Prepare the sauce. After removing the tomatoes from the oven, remove the rosemary, thyme, and shallot skins and discard. Blend in the pot used for the pasta with an immersion blender or a canister blender. Add in butter and pasta water and stir to combine.
Large kettle sitting on wood cutting board filled with roasted tomatoes right before being blended together with handheld immersion blender.
Hand holding handheld immersion blender with blended orange-colored tomato sauce made from roasted tomatoes in large kettle.
  1. Cook the sauce and add in pasta. Over low heat, bring the blended sauce to a simmer. Add in the pasta and mix together. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Add the burrata and basil. Once cooked, plate the pasta in a serving bowl and add the ball of burrata on top. Using a knife, slice the burrata to let it spill onto the pasta. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.
Large kettle filled with orange colored tomato sauce heating on the stovetop.
Hand pouring cooked penne pasta into large kettle filled with roasted tomato sauce on the stovetop.
Hand holding wooden utensil mixing together cooked penne pasta with roasted tomato sauce in large kettle on the stovetop.
Hand holding knife slicing into ball of burrata in the middle of a large bowl of pasta on white surface.

These pro tips will make this recipe a success.

  • Customize the level of spice to fit your taste. Add in additional peppers or red pepper flakes to give it more of a kick, or leave it out entirely to reduce the heat. You can also remove the seeds and pith of any pepper to reduce the heat level.
  • For ease, keep the skin on the shallots while they roast in the oven. Leaving the skins on will add color and a deeper flavor. Simply remove and discard the skin after they roast in the oven.
  • Make sure to save some of the pasta water from cooking the pasta. Starch from the pasta stays in the water and helps the sauce bind to the noodles. It also works to create a better texture for the overall sauce.
Large stoneware bowl filled with pasta covered in roasted tomato sauce with hand holding spoon pulling serving out of the bowl with burrata and cheese strings hanging.

Frequently asked questions about this recipe.

Does the chili pepper have to be added to this recipe?

No. If you don’t want the spice, you can leave it out. Or you can add as much red pepper flakes as desired.

Can I use a different type of pasta rather than penne?

Yes, any type of pasta will work with this sauce. Use the same pound-for-pound amount.

Can I use something in place of shallots?

Yes, red onions will work as a great substitute.

How long will this recipe last once cooked?

The leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and will last 7 to 10 days.

Brown bowl filled with roasted tomato pasta with ball of burrata and fresh basil leaves.

You’ll love these other pasta recipes.

Watch how to make this recipe.

More summer recipes

Have I convinced you to make this recipe?

I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!

Roasted tomato pasta sitting in large brown bowl with balls of burrata cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Roasted Tomato Pasta

Kaleb
5 from 4 votes
This simple pasta dish is perfect for summer. Using produce that's in season, this roasted and blended sauce with pasta makes the oven do all the work. Tomatoes, garlic, and shallot are combined to make a dish packed with flavor. Topped with creamy burrata and basil, this is a great garden-fed weeknight dish!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share a Review

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lb cherry tomatoes
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 3 medium shallots sliced in half
  • 1 small chili hot pepper (or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes)
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup pasta water
  • 1 lb penne pasta
  • 1 8 oz ball burrata cheese
  • 10 leaves basil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Place the washed and dried tomatoes on a large baking sheet. Add the garlic cloves, whole shallots, chili pepper (if using), rosemary, and thyme. Drizzle with the olive oil, making sure to coat everything. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and place in the preheated oven. Roast until the tomatoes and shallot are burst, turning brown and softened, 20-25 minutes.
    1 ½ lb cherry tomatoes, 5 cloves garlic, 3 medium shallots, 1 small chili hot pepper (or ¼ tsp red pepper flakes), 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt
  • During the last few minutes of the tomatoes roasting, make the pasta according to the instructions for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ¾ cup of the pasta water, and set it aside while finishing the sauce.
    1 lb penne pasta
  • Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Pour the remaining contents of the baking pan into the stockpot used to cook the pasta. Add the butter. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture into a sauce. The sauce can also be made in a canister blender. If the sauce seems too thick, add ¼ to ½ cup of pasta water to thin it out to the desired consistency.
    1 tbsp unsalted butter, ¾ cup pasta water
  • Place the pasta sauce over low heat and pour the prepared pasta into the sauce to warm everything through, 2-3 minutes.
  • To serve the pasta, pour the pasta onto a large platter. Place the burrata cheese in the middle. Tear the fresh basil on top of the pasta. While serving, break the cheese with the serving spoon and mix it with the pasta.
    10 leaves basil, 1 8 oz ball burrata cheese

Notes

  • Customize the level of spice to fit your taste. Add in additional peppers or red pepper flakes to give it more of a kick, or leave it out entirely to reduce the heat. You can also remove the seeds and pith of any pepper to reduce the heat level.
  • For ease, keep the skin on the shallots while they roast in the oven. Leaving the skins on will add color and a deeper flavor. Simply remove and discard the skin after they roast in the oven.
  • Make sure to save some of the pasta water from cooking the pasta. Starch from the pasta stays in the water and helps the sauce bind to the noodles. It also works to create a better texture for the overall sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 400kcal
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Difficulty Easy
Method Roasting

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Avatar for Kaleb Wyse

Kaleb

I’m Kaleb! I'm not a chef, professional baker, landscaper, or designer, but I like to play each on Knollgate Farm. Come join me on my journey and let's learn together!

Learn more about me
5 from 4 votes

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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this pasta recipe. I made it and it was absolutely delicious. It’s very creamy and flavorful😊🙏
    This is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had. I love all the recipes you post. I also tried your lemon scones recipe and I am hooked. You are amazing!!!
    Thank you Kaleb.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    One of the best sauces I’ve tried, my husband absolutely loved it, he served himself twice said jt was the best I’ve made easy, and so tasty! Thank you!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious. My daughter and sister loved it too. It is so flavorful and easy to make and looks and tastes like something you get in a restaurant. I will definitely make this again.
    Thanks for so many good recipes.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Love this recipe, made it the first time to try on myself, made it again to try on dinner guests. Even better that I can use the ingredients from my own garden. Definitely a 5 star recipe, thanks so much.

    Reply