Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta is one of the first recipes I ever posted on this blog (and while the recipe remains the same, the photos needed some updating)!
I love this recipe and I’ve been making it for as many years as I can remember.
Fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and seasonings are all roasted until deliciously tender and slightly charred. The mixture is tossed with pasta for a simple and incredibly flavorful meal in just minutes.
Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta
Fresh cherry tomato pasta is a dish I make all year long. It’s crazy-easy and so loaded with flavor that everyone raves over it! Sometimes the simplest dishes make the best meals.
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you, it’s not a super saucy heavy dish but the juices of the tomatoes create the most beautiful delicate sauce for this dish, reminiscent of the meals I ate in Italy.
I’m not much of a gardener, I hate weeding and I can’t keep a houseplant alive for the life of me. That being said, the one thing I grow every year is cherry tomatoes. There is a little local garden store that sells plants and we often end up with more tomatoes than we can even eat!
Of course, this means we’re always in search of the best ever cherry tomato recipes (like this one).
Our summers consist of bowl upon bowl of Garden Fresh Bruschetta, our favorite Greek Tortellini Salad loaded with veggies, and this pasta with cherry tomatoes and basil.
How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta
This recipe is insanely easy. I start with fresh cherry tomatoes (obvs) and slice them in half. I toss it all with a good dose of fresh garlic, some olive oil, salt and pepper… and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The vinegar has natural sugars which help it to caramelize adding tons of rich flavor.
Once it’s all tossed I put it on a foil lined pan. I used to use parchment paper but I truly find things caramelize better either directly on the pan or on foil (hello… easy clean up).
While the tomatoes are getting all roasty-toasty, I boil up some pasta… most often spaghetti or linguine but whatever you have will work. Make sure you DO NOT RINSE your pasta for this dish. You want the starches in it to mix with the juices to make a fresh tomato pasta sauce.
Finally a sprinkling of parmesan, some chopped fresh basil and freshly ground pepper.
I often make this on nights my daughter has soccer because by the time the pasta has cooked, the tomatoes are ready to serve! It tastes fancy but it’s pretty effortless!
This recipe is so simple and the better quality your tomatoes are, the better your dish will be. You can certainly use any type of tomatoes in this recipe but grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes give the best results. Please don’t skip the fresh basil for garnish in this cherry tomato pasta, it adds such incredible flavor!
One last thing about the pasta, I try to buy refrigerated pasta if I can for this dish since the ingredients have such a fresh flavor. If you don’t have it on hand, you can use boxed pasta cooked al dente. If you want to add a little protein, grilled chicken or shrimp are perfect options!
This pasta is fuss free, quick and easy and a go-to around here. Add in some bread and Homemade Garlic Butter and a side salad for the perfect meal!
Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound refrigerated pasta or use boxed if you prefer
Garnish
- ¼ cup fresh basil sliced
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Gently toss all ingredients (except the pasta).
- Place on a foil-lined pan and roast at 425°F for 15 minutes or until softened. Broil 1-2 minutes to add a little bit of char/color once softened.
- Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until tender but firm. Drain (do not rinse) and place in a large bowl.
- Add tomatoes (and any pan juices) to the pasta and toss to combine.
- Serve and garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Pasta
Cuisine Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I had so many cherry tomatoes and this recipe was a perfect way to use them! It was so easy, too! I just made a batch and had a nice bowl of it! Yum!
Can I freeze the leftover tomatoes?
Yes, they do freeze well but can become a little bit mushy once thawed. They’re great added to pasta sauces as well!
I made this quick & easy recipe 2 nights in a row & it was so delicious! So delicious we needed more of it the next day! Thank you! I served it w burrata & wonderful bread. No pasta. The warm tomatoes melted the burrata to perfection & soaked up the savory juices w the bread! Deliciousness!
So simple and yet incredibly delicious!
This was spectacular! Wanted to use my cherry tomatoes from the garden and this was a hit. So light and fresh. thanks
My God! This was such a simple dish to make, and SOOOOO delicious! I hate when people “tweak” a recipe and then rate it, but I did add a Japanese eggplant to the tomatoes while roasting them, and some fresh mozz balls at the end. It was a gourmet meal, to say the least. Thank you!
Glad you loved it Vinny! The fresh mozzarella is a great addition!
Delicious!
Thought the recipe was very good and didn’t change anything other than to lower roasting temperature for tomatoes to 400. This recipe is a keeper for the summer cherry tomato bumper crop.
Instead of parmesan, i sprinkle liberal amounts of fera, more fresh basil, minced, and pine nuts on top. Outstanding!
Sounds great Leslie!
Great things
I needed a recipe to use some of the many cherry tomatoes we have coming in from our garden. So glad I landed on this one—It is amazing! I baked it at 410 degrees on Convection Roast, and it came out perfect—no need to broil. The only other thing I changed was to thinly slice the garlic instead of mincing. We’ll definitely be having this a lot this summer. In the future, I think I’ll either increase the amount of sauce or decrease the amount of pasta. I may even try freezing the tomatoes after roasting—looks like we could have unprecedented amounts of cherry tomatoes. :) Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
So glad you loved it Karen!! It’s on my menu again tonight too! :)
Just a note about so many cherry tomatoes from my garden. I oven sun-dry tomatoes (lots of batches!) at summers end and freeze In small snack baggies for pizza, pasta, sandwiches etc. I halve the tomatoes and mix with very little olive oil and light fine sea salt. Bake at 225 for 4-5 hours on a parchment paper covered baking sheet (I know that’s a long time but results are so worth it). Add spices afterwards if desired. These fresh tomatoes keep giving all winter long!
How would this work as a pasta salad? Looks great!
Great idea, I do have a fresh tomato pasta salad but haven’t tried this as a pasta salad. You might need to add a bit of oil/vinegar and seasoning. Let us know how it works out if you try it!
Given a bunch of grape tomatoes and found your recipe. Husband said”Terrific meal – restaurant quality!” Teenaged son said “Great meal. Thanks Mom!” Other teenaged son said “Don’t normally like roasted tomatoes but these are awesome.” I don’t usually leave comments but wanted to say thank you!!!!
So glad your family loved it Darla! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review!!
Delicious and easy! Great way to enjoy ripe cherry tomatoes!
As I have come to expect from Holly and Spend with Pennies, this recipe is a real winner! Fast, fresh, and fabulous! I’m adding it to the rotation year round. Cherry and grape tomatoes are often the only USA-grown tomatoes available, and they are one of the best tomato bargains to be had ♀️
Thank you so much for your kind words Monica!! ❤️ So glad you loved it as much as we do!
Really good and very easy way to use up some very ripe grape tomatoes!
I couldn’t agree with you more Terry!
Looked good when I read the recipe. It was everything I imagined.
That’s great James! So happy you think so.
We grew million dollar cherry tomatoes this year, 4 plants. I never realized the amount of cherry tomatoes we would have. I have given over 15 pounds away. Then I thought why not try a recipe to use these tomatoes. I used this one and it is to die for. So yummy. My husband loves it. So now I have been making this recipe and freezing the tomatoes. Thank you for posting the best roasted tomato recipe ever.
So happy you love it Beth! Definitely a great way to use up some of those tomatoes.
I roast them with fresh herbs and lots of garlic in trays and freeze in portions.
Is there any wine that you would recommend to go with this?
Hi Eli, a light and dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay would go great with this recipe. Enjoy!
I really enjoyed it. Looked for a cherry tomato recipe and found yours and I was not disappointed. My niece and nephew came back for seconds. Let’s say it’s my new cherry tomato recipe. Thank you
So happy it was a hit Iantha!
A quick, easy, and very good meatless meal! I used italian seasoning and campanelle pasta to hold on to the sauce better then other pastas. Topped with just the parmesan and served with garlic cheese bread. This is a new favorite for us and cant wait for the garden fresh cherry tomatoes this summer! Made and reviewed for the Alphabet recipe tag game.
This is the best with garden tomatoes!! So glad you enjoyed it, I bet the campanelle was perfect!
Super easy but extremely delicious! Used fresh cherry tomatoes and basil from our garden! Thanks for sharing :)
Nothing beats garden fresh Shreya! You’re welcome :)