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Home » Specific Diets » Vegetarian

Published: Aug 18, 2020 · Modified: Sep 10, 2020 by Jacqui

Orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes (pomodori al forno)


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Orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes!

When I first saw this recipe from Puglia for orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes, I just had to rush out to buy the ingredients so I could cook it immediately! It was love at first bite and I’ve made it a number of times since. This is a perfect summer pasta dish.

orecchiette with roasted tomatoes

Orecchiette con pomodorini al forno.

Update: This orecchiette recipe was first published in 2017 but I have updated it. This time I made it with homemade pasta (recipe coming soon) and homegrown cherry tomatoes. Even the onion came from our garden! Absolutely Amazing with a capital ‘A’!

Here in Italy, most pasta sauces are created in a deep frying pan to which the pasta is added once cooked. Yes, Italians generally mix the cooked pasta with the sauce before plating it, rather than serve the sauce sitting on top of the pasta.

orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes

I guess this makes sense. After all, in order to really enjoy any pasta-sauce combination, each piece or strand of pasta needs to be coated with sauce. This is difficult to do on a plate without making a mess or ending up with sauce-less pasta pieces on your plate.

ingredients for orecchiette with roasted tomatoes

There are some sauces which are not created in a pan and this recipe for orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes is one I came across some years ago and was immediately intrigued by. Here, the condiment ingredients are roasted topped with breadcrumbs, pecorino cheese and a generous amount of olive oil.

prepared condiment ingredients in white oven dish

Puglia and orecchiette pasta.

This recipe for orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes comes from Bari in Puglia and is sometimes also called ‘alla Barese’. However, there are a number of other pasta recipes from Puglia or different versions of pasta with roasted tomatoes also called ‘alla Barese’. Like this recipe for a pasta salad.

prepared condiment ingredients sprinkled with breadcrumbs and pecorino

Since orecchiette are quintessentially Apulian, they are the perfect pasta partner for this sauce. This time round, we actually made the orecchiette ourselves! However, you can use dried or ready made fresh orecchiette or other pasta like penne or intrecci. Even long pasta would work if you prefer.

homemade orecchiette pasta

The roasted tomatoes.

I have long been in love with roasted cherry tomatoes. In fact, in the last years, I have been serving them on everything, not just pasta! Roasting small tomatoes gives them a wonderful depth of flavour which cannot be replicated in a frying pan. The same is true for other veggies and even some fruit. Last year, I discovered roasted grapes, but that’s another story!

cooked orecchiette in oven dish with roasted tomato sauce

This year we had a ton of cherry tomatoes in our veg garden so I was able to use homegrown ones. The only alteration I made to the original recipe was to use baby yellow pear tomatoes as well as red cherry tomatoes. These tomatoes have a sweeter, more subtle taste than the red ones and, of course, make the dish look even more attractive. However, you can use just red tomatoes.

orecchiette with roasted tomatoes

Roast the sauce!

In this orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes recipe, the tomatoes with the other ‘sauce’ ingredients; onion, garlic, oregano and basil, are generously coated with EVO and then topped with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and pecorino and roasted. I loved the flavour that the roasted onion also gave to this dressing and the texture created by the breadcrumbs.

orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes

The cheese.

Before serving, I grated ricotta salata over the dish. Ricotta salata is an Italian cheese made from the whey part of sheep’s milk, which is pressed, salted and aged for at least 90 days. It is milky white in colour with a firm texture and salty taste. It’s very popular in the Southern Italian regions and often grated on pasta dishes.

orecchiette with roasted tomatoes

If you can’t find this cheese you can either use an aged feta or just more pecorino. Instead of pecorino you can also use parmigiano. NB. Strict vegetarians will need to replace the pecorino or parmigiano with a vegetarian hard cheese.

What to do with the leftovers.

In some recipes for this dish, once the pasta is mixed with the sauce, it is put in the oven or under the grill to make the top crispy. I didn’t do this when I first served it, but I did it with the leftovers! All I can say is YUMMY!! This dish can also be eaten tepid or cold, making it a wonderful summer recipe.

orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes

If you make this orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Buon appetito!

Other orecchiette recipes to try.

  1. Orecchiette with meatballs
  2. Orecchiette with Nduja and eggplant
  3. Pasta with broccoli rabe (rapini)
  4. Homemade orecchiette

Save this recipe for later?

If you want to save this orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes recipe for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.

Pin for later.

orechiette with roasted tomatoes
orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes

Orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes (con pomodori al forno)

Jacqueline De Bono
A delightfully delicious orecchiette pasta recipe from Puglia which involves roasting the sauce instead of cooking it in a pan. A great summer recipe perfect for family meals and weeknights
5 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 29 mins
Total Time 44 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean, Puglia, Southern Italian
Servings 4
Calories 677 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 400 g orecchiette (14oz) homemade or fresh is better
  • 35 cherry tomatoes cut in half (I used red & yellow)
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 50 g pecorino Romano (2oz) grated
  • 50 g ricotta salata (2oz) grated
  • salt for pasta and to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Instructions
 

  • Peel and chop the onion, wash and cut the cherry tomatoes in half, peel the garlic, tear basil leaves into pieces.
  • Put the onion, garlic, some basil leaves, oregano and tomatoes (cut side up) into an oven dish.
  • Coat the sauce ingredients with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Sprinkle the tomatoes with breadcrumbs and grated pecorino.
  • Roast in a preheated oven at 180°c for about 30 minutes.
  • In the meantime, put a pot of water onto boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Fresh or homemade orecchiette doesn't take very long to cook.
  • Strain the pasta and add it to the oven dish once the tomatoes are ready and after removing the garlic cloves.
  • Mix all the ingredients together well and serve with grated ricotta salata and a few more chopped basil leaves.
  • Buon appetito!

Notes

Once the pasta is mixed with the sauce and you have sprinkled it with grated cheese, you can put the dish in the oven or under the grill to make the top crispy.
This recipe can also be made with penne, other short pasta or even with long pasta if you prefer.
If you can’t find ricotta salata cheese, you can either use an aged feta or just more pecorino. Strict vegetarians will need to replace the pecorino with a vegetarian hard cheese.
Keyword authentic Italian pasta recipe, cherry tomatoes, orecchiette, quick and easy recipe, roasted tomatoes, vegetarian
 

More Vegetarian

  • Pasta Recipes for Lent.
  • Homemade Fried Rye Flour Ravioli
  • Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe from Piemonte.
  • Sardinian Fregola with Chickpeas.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. e-healthonline says

    September 27, 2020 at 7:53 am

    Hi!, love this pasta with roasted tomatoes. thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
  2. Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says

    September 07, 2020 at 10:22 am

    Oh, this is amazing pasta dish, all the ingredients and flavours are so delicious. My favourite part is that cherry tomatoes are roasted!

    Reply
  3. Eileen Kelly says

    September 07, 2020 at 6:42 am

    I had a bounty of cherry tomatoes and needed a great recipe to use them. This roasted tomato sauce is just perfect. I didn’t have orecchiette so I used spaghetti. I’m looking forward to your homemade pasta recipe to make this again with the orecchiette.

    Reply
  4. Kushigalu says

    September 05, 2020 at 10:08 am

    Love evry single pasta recipe you share. Simple, delicious and flavorful. This would be perfect dinner for summer.

    Reply
  5. Jenny says

    September 04, 2020 at 6:06 pm

    Wow, this is the best! Looks amazing, so colorful and delicious. This is the perfect time to make it. I am not great at making fresh pasta, am going to get some from an Italian specialty shop we have in our neighborhood. Just got beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes, pecorino and fresh basil so I will be all set! Can’t wait to have it tonight!

    Reply
  6. Aleta says

    September 03, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    Now THIS is a pasta dish to write home about! I can’t wait to try your homemade pasta – I’ll keep an eye out for the recipe! How cool that you were able to use homegrown tomatoes and onion!

    Reply
    • Neha says

      September 07, 2020 at 6:31 am

      Love all your pasta recipes. This one particularly sounds so irresistible, need to try it out!

      Reply
  7. veenaazmanov says

    September 03, 2020 at 4:13 am

    Delicious and best recipe for the weekend. I can plan my dish well in advance. Love the roasted flavors and the cheesy platter. yum

    Reply
  8. Marta says

    September 03, 2020 at 3:32 am

    I love that you made the orecchiette yourselves! Anytime a dish has a fun-shaped pasta, I love it more.

    Reply
  9. kerri says

    September 02, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    the fact that you made this orecchiette – wildly impressive! this meal really hits the spot!

    Reply
  10. Heidy McCallum says

    September 02, 2020 at 1:23 pm

    Good morning from the USA! I made your orecchiette pasta with roasted tomatoes and it was wonderful. I enjoyed every bite and actually thought of tossing my diet down the drain and having seconds. YES! It was that good.

    Have a great day
    H

    Reply
  11. Sandra Shaffer says

    September 02, 2020 at 12:18 am

    I have cherry tomatoes from my garden that I’ve been saving just for the right recipe. This is simple and delicious even with store purchased orecchiette pasta. I’ll be watching for the homemade pasta recipe next! Thank you.

    Reply
  12. HEATHER PERINE says

    September 01, 2020 at 11:02 pm

    So simple and so fresh – such an easy delicious dinner! I loved this, and will be making it again for sure!

    Reply
  13. Lathiya says

    August 28, 2020 at 10:20 pm

    This sounds so interesting and easy too. I’m sure the taste has is amazing.

    Reply
  14. Ranjanis kitchen says

    August 25, 2020 at 9:39 am

    It looks amazingly delicious. There is no wonder that you rushed yourself for ingredients to make it immediately 🙂

    Reply
  15. The Gourmet Country Girl says

    August 20, 2020 at 12:13 am

    I am a big fan of orecchiette! I really like your idea of getting it crispy in the oven. I’ve made it with sausage, oil, herbs and parmesan cheese and pan-fried it for a bit to get some crunch. I couldn’t agree more that pasta and sauce needs to be all cooked together so each piece is soaked in flavor.

    Reply
  16. Ai says

    August 19, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    I’d love to try this, since orecchiette is my all time favorite pasta shape!

    Reply
    • LaRena Fry says

      August 20, 2020 at 7:33 am

      I love the history and culture that you give in every recipe. This little ear pasta recipe sounds divine. I am going to have to see if I can find a gluten-free orecchiette.

      Reply
  17. Sid Myers says

    August 19, 2020 at 1:27 pm

    I have long been in love with roasted cherry tomatoes too. Looks delicious!

    Reply
  18. Anindya Sundar Basu says

    August 19, 2020 at 10:36 am

    I always visit your blog for new recipes of Pasta and this one is a great addition to my to do list.

    Reply
  19. Angela says

    August 19, 2020 at 5:22 am

    Just the recipe I needed. Our tomato plants in our California backyard are producing so much and I picked a ton but needed a recipe. This is perfect with our fresh tomatoes!

    Reply
  20. Alpa says

    August 19, 2020 at 4:38 am

    I love the idea of roasting cherry tomatoes in pasta, sounds delicious.

    Reply

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Buon giorno and welcome to my pasta project! My name is Jacqui. I’m originally a Londoner but in 2003 life’s journey brought me to the beautiful Veneto region of Italy where…

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