This delicious Southern Italian roasted cherry tomato pasta is the perfect summer pasta dish or side dish. It delivers many sweet and fresh summer flavors while only taking 45 minutes to make.
When I first saw this recipe from Puglia for roasted cherry tomato pasta, 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.
History
This roasted tomato orecchiette pasta recipe comes from Bari in Puglia and is sometimes 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.
Since orecchiette pasta is quintessentially Apulian, it is the perfect pasta partner for this sauce. This time round, we actually made the orecchiette ourselves!
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.
Ingredients
You will only need a handful of ingredients for this roasted tomato pasta recipe. Most of these are easy to source. Plus, the slightly more unique ingredients like ricotta salata and pecorino romano have some easier to source alternatives that can be used.
- Pasta: For this recipe I used homemade orecchiette. You can also use fresh or dried. Some other pasta alternatives include penne and intrecci, but feel free to use what you prefer.
- Tomatoes: Use a mix of red and yellow cherry or datterini tomatoes. These will add a delicious sweetness and color to the pasta recipe. If you can't source both red and yellow just using red works too.
- Garlic Cloves: I used two cloves of garlic in the roasting process which added an aromatic, depth of flavor. Use fresh and firm garlic cloves for best results.
- Fresh Basil: Opt for fresh basil, not dried. It adds a lovely aromatic and fresh flavor that complements the cherry tomatoes.
- Oregano: Use dried Mediterranean oregano. This adds a complementary robust, earthy flavor to the pasta dish. I used home dried oregano but store bought is fine as long as it is still aromatic.
- Onion: I’ve made this recipe with both red and yellow onions before; both are delicious! So pick what you have on hand.
- Breadcrumbs: A sprinkling of breadcrumbs on the tomatoes before roasting them adds an extra dimension of texture.
- Pecorino Romano: Pecorino adds a salty, tangy and savory flavor to the recipe. The more mature the Pecorino Romano you use, the more depth of flavor it adds. A substitute for it is Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
- Ricotta Salata: Salata is a variant of ricotta cheese that has been pressed, salted, and dried for at least 90 days. Its texture is firmer than typical ricotta, and it has a salty, slightly tangy flavor. If you can't source ricotta salata, aged feta works well too.
- Salt & Pepper: Use salt and pepper at the end of the recipe to taste and season.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use good quality olive oil as the flavor will add more depth to the recipe.
Expert Tips
Follow these expert tips to make the best roasted cherry tomato pasta possible.
Preheat the Oven: Preheating the oven is an important step that will help the cherry tomatoes caramelize better and stop them from stewing as much in their juices. This will help their flavor become sweeter while maintaining more texture.
Roasting Cherry Tomatoes: This is one of my favorite cherry tomato roasting tips. Roast the cherry tomatoes cut side up. This will help the cherry tomatoes retain a lot of their sweet juices that can then be used to coat the pasta.
Pasta Cooked Al Dente: Cook your pasta to al dente to give the recipe more texture. Al dente pasta is important in this recipe as it will add more contrast against the cooked cherry tomatoes.
Baking Sheet to Reduce Clean-Up: If you're worried about charring your new baking dish, add a piece of baking pepper underneath. This will stop the sugars from the tomatoes and vegetables from potentially charring the bottom of the baking dish.
Step by Step Instructions
1) Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
2) In an oven-safe dish, combine the onion, garlic, some basil leaves, oregano, and tomatoes (with the cut side up).
2) Drizzle the combined ingredients with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3) Sprinkle the tomatoes with breadcrumbs and grated Pecorino Romano.
4) Place the cherry tomatoes in the preheated oven at 355°F (180°C) and roast for about 30 minutes.
4) While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt once the water starts to boil, then let the water return to a boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until it's al dente, following the package instructions for timing.
Note: When using fresh or homemade pasta it usually doesn't take very long to cook.
5) Once the tomatoes are ready, remove the garlic cloves from the oven dish. Transfer the roasted tomatoes and pasta to a big baking dish or serving dish.
6) Mix all the ingredients together well in the dish.
7) Serve with a sprinkle of grated ricotta salata and some additional chopped basil leaves.
Storage and Leftovers
This dish tastes best when you eat it right after it's made. But if you have leftovers, you can put them in a sealed container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat this pasta dish cold or hot, it's up to you.
If you want to reheat it, you have two options. First, you can add it into an oven-safe dish with more breadcrumbs and Pecorino Romano cheese on top and heat it under the grill until it's hot. Or, for a quicker way is to reheat it covered in the microwave until hot.
FAQs
An aged feta cheese or even more Pecorino Romano can be used as substitutes.
While cherry tomatoes are recommended for their sweetness, you could use other small tomatoes like datterini or grape tomatoes. If using larger tomatoes, make sure to cut them into smaller pieces to ensure they roast evenly.
You can use any oven-safe dish for roasting the tomatoes, but a ceramic or glass baking dish is preferable. These materials don't conduct heat as quickly as metal, allowing for more even roasting.
Yes, use your favorite gluten-free pasta and ensure your breadcrumbs are also gluten-free.
Yes, this dish can be made vegan by omitting the cheeses or replacing them with vegan alternatives.
More tomato pasta recipes to try
- Bucatini with Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes and Peppers
- Pasta with Tomato Sauce allo Scarpariello
- Sagne Torte with Tomato Sauce
- The Best Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce Ever!
- Tuscan Pomarola Tomato Sauce with Mixed Pasta
If you make this roasted cherry tomato pasta 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!
Pin for Later:
If you are interested in learning how to make different types of homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians!
Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some recommended pasta making tools? All great prezzies for pasta lovers!
e-healthonline says
Hi!, love this pasta with roasted tomatoes. thanks for sharing this.
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey says
Oh, this is amazing pasta dish, all the ingredients and flavours are so delicious. My favourite part is that cherry tomatoes are roasted!
Eileen Kelly says
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.
Kushigalu says
Love evry single pasta recipe you share. Simple, delicious and flavorful. This would be perfect dinner for summer.
Jenny says
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!
Aleta says
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!
Neha says
Love all your pasta recipes. This one particularly sounds so irresistible, need to try it out!
veenaazmanov says
Delicious and best recipe for the weekend. I can plan my dish well in advance. Love the roasted flavors and the cheesy platter. yum
Marta says
I love that you made the orecchiette yourselves! Anytime a dish has a fun-shaped pasta, I love it more.
kerri says
the fact that you made this orecchiette - wildly impressive! this meal really hits the spot!
Heidy McCallum says
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
Sandra Shaffer says
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.
HEATHER PERINE says
So simple and so fresh - such an easy delicious dinner! I loved this, and will be making it again for sure!
Lathiya says
This sounds so interesting and easy too. I'm sure the taste has is amazing.
Ranjanis kitchen says
It looks amazingly delicious. There is no wonder that you rushed yourself for ingredients to make it immediately 🙂
The Gourmet Country Girl says
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.
Ai says
I'd love to try this, since orecchiette is my all time favorite pasta shape!
LaRena Fry says
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.
Sid Myers says
I have long been in love with roasted cherry tomatoes too. Looks delicious!
Anindya Sundar Basu says
I always visit your blog for new recipes of Pasta and this one is a great addition to my to do list.
Angela says
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!
Alpa says
I love the idea of roasting cherry tomatoes in pasta, sounds delicious.