Treat yourself to this delicious Roasted Tomato Pasta! This easy pasta dish features a flavor-packed sauce that couldn't be easier to make ... it's the perfect way to show off fresh summer tomatoes!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I cut a recipe for Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce out of a magazine years ago, and I made it so often that it became a family favorite. And then I lost the recipe in one of my many moves. Maybe it fell off a truck somewhere between San Francisco and New York, or NYC and Dallas ... who knows?!
Anyway, I was thinking of that pasta the other day, and decided that I had to recreate it. This summery Roasted Tomato Pasta recipe is the result, and it tastes just as delicious as I remember!
You are going to LOVE this recipe! It's the perfect way to use fresh summer tomatoes, and the flavors are super rich and savory. Best of all though? The oven does most of the work for you ... no need to waste time peeling tomatoes or stand over a hot store stirring a slow cooking sauce!
The recipe is also easy to customize by adding different veggies, mixing in your favorite fresh herbs, or simply using a different pasta shape.
Are you ready to dig into this easy recipe? Then keep scrolling for all the details!
Ingredients
This easy pasta recipe uses simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store! Here's what you'll need:
- Pasta - You can use almost any type of pasta for this recipe. My favorite is spaghetti, but linguine, bucatini, penne, orecchiette, etc. will also work.
- Tomatoes - Choose the freshest, most flavorful tomatoes you can find to make the homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce. I've made this recipe with all different types, but this time I used heirloom tomatoes. Tomatoes fresh from the garden or farmers market are also a great option, but even roma or plum tomatoes can be used in a pinch.
- Onions - You'll need one red onion for the sauce. Yellow or white onions may also be used, if that's all you have on hand.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic adds a rich, savory layer of flavor to the pasta sauce.
- Olives + Capers - This recipe calls for a combination of kalamata olives and capers. These two ingredients add a wonderful depth of flavor that's super delicious and a great briny counterpart to the fresh tomatoes, onions, and herbs. Look for non-pareil capers that are packed in brine. If you can only find capers that have been packed in salt, make sure to rinse them well, then soak them in water for 15 minutes before using.
- Herbs - You'll use a combination of fresh thyme and basil.
- Olive Oil - Extra virgin olive oil is used to roasted the ingredients for the sauce.
This pasta and sauce recipe is naturally vegetarian, vegan, and dairy free. You could also use GF spaghetti (or pasta of choice) to make it gluten free.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a sharp knife to prep the veggies, an 8 x 8-inch square pan (I used my favorite Emile Henry Square Baker) to bake the Roast Tomato Sauce, and a large pot to cook the pasta (I used my trusty Calphalon Dutch Oven). You will also need a food processor or blender to puree the sauce.
How to Make Roasted Tomato Pasta
This recipe for Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Mix sauce ingredients in pan. Combine the onion, garlic, olives, and capers in your baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then stir. Lay a few thyme sprigs on top of this mixture.
- Top with tomatoes. Core your tomatoes, then cut a shallow "X" in both ends. Cut tomatoes in half, then place cut-side down on top of the onion mixture. Drizzle with more olive oil. Tip: There's no need to peel the tomatoes in advance. The skins will slip right off once they're roasted!
- Roast sauce. Place the baking dish in your oven. Then roast the veggies for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes skins are shriveled and starting to brown, and the onions are tender. Tip: The longer you cook the sauce, the more concentrated the flavors will be.
- Finish sauce. Carefully remove the skins from the tomatoes (they should come right off), using a pair of tongs, if needed. Then transfer the tomatoes to your blender / food processor. Remove the thyme sprigs, then add the remaining ingredients to your blender / food processor, as well. Carefully, pulse the sauce a few times, just until it looks like a chunky sauce. Stir in some fresh thyme leaves, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Tip: If you'd like, you can process the sauce until it's totally smooth ... a good idea if you're serving any picky eaters (or just prefer a smoother sauce)!
- Combine with pasta. About 10 minutes before veggies are done roasting, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta back to the pot, along with the sauce, fresh basil, and splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss together over medium, until the sauce coats the pasta (adding more pasta water, if needed). Season to taste, then serve hot topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.
And that's all there is to it ... this Roasted Tomato Pasta recipe is so delicious, that you'd never guess that it's easy enough to make on a busy weeknight!
Variations
Once you've mastered the basic recipe, this Roasted Tomato Garlic Pasta is super fun and easy to customize! Here are some ideas to try:
- Pasta - You can pair this sauce with almost any shape of pasta, from linguine to penne!
- Veggies - Add extra veggies. In the past, I've made this recipe with eggplant, zucchini, artichokes, red peppers, and more. Either roast them with the tomatoes and other ingredients if you don't mind them getting chopped in the blender / food processor (make sure to use a larger baking dish), or if you'd prefer to keep them whole, bake them alongside in another pan (tossed with more oil, salt, and pepper). You could also stir in some chopped spinach (or sautéed greens) when mixing the pasta and sauce together.
- Herbs - Experiment with different herbs. In addition to the thyme and basil used here, you could try rosemary, oregano, flat leaf parsley, or chives (or a combination).
- Spicy - If you like your pasta with a little kick, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the veggies mixture before roasting. Crushed Calabrian Peppers would also be tasty.
- Cheese - Toss in some crumbled feta or goat cheese in before serving, or top the pasta with a little parmesan like I did for these photos.
- Olives + Capers - Feel free to use different types of gourmet olives (such as Castelvetrano olives). The only ones I wouldn't recommend are plain black olives (the canned kind), because they don't have a lot of flavor or texture. You could also leave the olives and capers out if you're not a fan, but they really do add sooo much flavor. And I have to say that even my husband (who hates capers and isn't a huge olive eater either) LOVES this pasta! You could, of course, also add more olives and capers, if you're a super fan!
- No Blender / Food Processor - If you do not have a blender or food processor, the tomatoes should be tender enough that you can mash the sauce with a fork instead (be careful not to burn yourself!). Just keep in mind that it will have a chunkier texture.
Serving Suggestions
This Roasted Tomato Spaghetti makes a super satisfying one dish meal on busy weeknights when you want to keep things simple! It's impressive enough for dinner parties too though, and I love pairing it with a simple Tossed Salad or Garden Veggie Salad, and maybe some Garlic Bread or homemade Beer Bread. Yum!
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to four days. Reheat gently in your microwave before eating.
Related Recipes
Looking for similar pasta and fresh tomato ideas? You'll love these recipes, too!
- Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Mascarpone Pasta
- Vegan Pasta Salad
- Halloumi Tomato Pasta
- Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce
- Cheese Lasagna
- Ricotta and Tomato Toasts
- Pan con Tomate
- Tomato Galette
- Burrata Caprese Salad
- Freekeh Salad with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella
Roasted Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
For Sauce:
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup halved kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 to 5 sprigs thyme
- 2 large tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds / 680 grams)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
For Pasta:
- 1 pound (454 grams) spaghetti (or other pasta)
- 1 large handful basil leaves, thinly sliced
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch Baking Dish
- Blender (or Food Processor)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine onion, olives, capers, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds pepper in an 8 X 8-inch baking dish.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then top mixture with thyme sprigs.
- Core tomatoes, then lightly score an "X" on both ends. Cut in half, then place cut side down on top of thyme sprigs. Drizzle tomatoes with remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake until tomato skins are shriveled and onions are tender (about 35 to 40 minutes).
- Remove and discard tomato skins, then carefully transfer tomatoes to blender (or food processor). Remove thyme sprigs, then add onion mixture to blender as well.
- Pulse sauce a few times or until chunky. Stir in thyme leaves, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Prepare Pasta:
- About 10 minutes before sauce is done roasting, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add pasta. Cook pasta until al dente.
- Remove ½ cup pasta cooking water from pot; set aside. Drain pasta.
- Return pasta to pot over medium heat, then add sauce and a small splash of pasta water. Toss pasta and sauce for a few minutes, until pasta is coated with sauce (add more pasta water if needed).
- Stir in fresh basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve pasta immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
