They say everything’s better in summer, and when it comes to produce, I couldn’t agree more. Because it means I get to make dishes like this roasted cherry tomato pasta. It’s simple, classic, and so easy to whip up!
Now, the hero of this pasta dish is the sauce! It’s a combo of sweet summer cherry tomatoes, onion, lots of garlic, creamy milk, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Resulting in a silky sweet tomato sauce with just a hint of spice that pairs perfectly with any pasta shape (although penne rigate is my favorite).
This dish comes together in under 40 minutes – mostly hands-free roasting time. Plus, you just need a handful of ingredients, making this vegan roasted tomato pasta the perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Sidenote, feel free to throw in some spinach or arugula for some greens. Additionally, to make this dish heartier, I like to throw in some butter beans (chopped chicken breast would also pair well if you’re not plant-based).
Everything You’ll Need For This Roasted Tomato Pasta
Here’s everything you’ll need for this creamy roasted tomato pasta!
- Cherry tomatoes: Duh! The quality of the tomatoes will make or break this sauce, so use sweet, dark red, cherry tomatoes. Or better yet, use tomatoes from your backyard!!
- Sweet white onion: Sweet white onions are just a tad sweeter (and milder in) in flavor than regular yellow onions, which is why I prefer them for this pasta dish. That said, you can use regular yellow onions or sub in shallots.
- Fresh garlic
- Cashew milk: I used my homemade cashew milk (without the dates or vanilla extract), but any creamy milk would work well here.
- Olive oil
- Tomato paste
- Oregano: Feel free to either use fresh or dried oregano – if you do use fresh oregano, use half the amount called for in the recipe.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper or red pepper flakes
- Penne pasta
- Finely grated parmesan for serving
A Few Quick Notes + Tips
This roasted cherry tomato pasta is foolproof, but I had to leave you with a few tips (3 to be exact) to make this recipe perfect!!
- Don’t throw out the water/juice from roasting the tomatoes and aromatics; add it to the sauce. The juice has so much flavor and sweetness, which adds a nice depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Speaking of flavor, let the tomatoes and onions char. Letting the aromatics char slightly adds a slightly smoky flavor to the sauce which is just phenomenal!
- Finely grate the parmesan. I can’t be the only one who thinks that depending on how cheese is sliced or grated, it tastes wildly different?! Right?? Anywho, I highly recommend grating the parmesan super fine; it compliments this dish better!
Can’t wait for you to make this tomato pasta! If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or send me a DM on Instagram.
Happy tomato season my friends!
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Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
This roasted tomato pasta is a summer staple for me; think silky smooth sweet tomato sauce paired with penne rigate and parmesan. It’s simple, classic, and so easy to whip up!
Ingredients
- 10 oz (300 g) penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 16 oz (450 g) cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium (200 g) sweet white onion, cut into wedges
- 8 fresh garlic cloves
- Olive oil and kosher salt for roasting
- 1/2 cup (110 ml) cashew milk
- 1/4 cup (45 ml) pasta water
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed *
- Finely grated parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Roast the tomatoes and aromatics. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper (which makes for easier cleanup). Dump the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves onto the sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, and toss to coat. Roast the tomatoes and aromatics for 25-30 minutes or until the onions are slightly charred.
- Make the pasta. In parallel to roasting the tomatoes and aromatics, make the pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, and then return the drained pasta to your pot.
- Bring the sauce together. Once the aromatics are done roasting, dump the tomatoes, onions, and any juice into a high-powered blender, along with the cashew milk, reserved pasta water, olive oil or butter, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt. Blend on low for 30 seconds, then ramp the speed up to medium and blend the sauce until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes total.
- Mix with the pasta and serve. Pour all of the sauce over the pot of pasta, turn the stove on medium-low, and stir to coat the pasta until the sauce clings, about 3-4 minutes. Adjust for salt and serve the pasta with a generous handful of finely grated parmesan.
Notes
*I used a total of 2 tsp of salt, but adjust to your preference.
Really enjoyed this! I added some roasted fiddleheads since I had to use them up but it would have also been great just as-is. Very easy and not too time-consuming.
So happy you liked this, the roasted fiddleheads sounds like such a fun addition! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Made this for dinner and 10/10! I added Italian sausage and grana padano cheese and it was a great hit!