Oven Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta is a simple and flavor packed dish. The sweet, small tomatoes are tossed with olive oil, white wine, garlic and roasted until caramelized. Then they're tossed with pasta and Parmesan cheese to make this easy pasta dish perfect for weeknight dinners or entertaining.
I just love making homemade tomato recipes. Not only are they easy to make, but they're so flavorful. My homemade marinara with fresh basil is one I make on repeat at home.
This simple recipe for roasted cherry tomatoes and pasta was inspired by my shrimp with roasted tomato sauce. It's delicious tossed with these amazing noodles with Parmesan and garlic too.
Jump to:
Ingredients & substitutions
Fresh and pantry ingredients combine for the garlic and wine roasted tomato sauce. With the bumper crop of cherry tomatoes during the summer months, this versatile sauce is absolutely delicious. Scroll to the recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.
- Fresh cherry tomatoes ~ These mini tomatoes are sweet and perfect for roasting. Substitute chopped Roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine.
- Yellow onion ~ Vidalia onions are an alternative.
- Fresh garlic cloves ~ Fresh is best!
- White wine ~ Try Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
- Salted butter ~ Adds rich flavor to the sauce.
- Olive oil ~ The oil promotes browning of the tomatoes and adds toasty flavor.
- Kosher salt ~ The larger grain salt enhances the flavor of food without making it overly salty.
- Fresh ground black pepper ~ More flavorful than already ground pepper. And so easy with a pepper mill.
- Fresh basil ~ A sweet and peppery punch of flavor from one of my favorite fresh herbs.
- Cooked al dente pasta or zucchini noodles ~ Perfect for tossing with the chunky homemade tomato sauce
- Parmesan cheese ~ Fresh tomato sauce and this nutty sharp cheese are a classic combination.
How to make cherry tomato pasta
Just gather a few ingredients and follow some simple recipe steps for a batch of garlicky cherry tomatoes and pasta. This is just a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions.
Step 1: Put cherry tomatoes, chopped onion and chopped garlic in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Step 2: Add white wine, cubes of salted butter, olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss the ingredients.
Step 3: Roast for 45 to 55 minutes or until the some tomatoes burst and are brown in spots.
Step 4: Smash some of the tomatoes with a large spoon to release their juices. Sprinkle with fresh basil.
Hint: Try spaghetti, linguine or rotini. Pick a cup-shaped pasta like orecchiette or shells to catch the intense tomato juices. The roasted cherry tomatoes are about enough for about ½ pound of cooked pasta.
Variations
Try some of these variations of this chunky roasted tomato pasta. They're all delicious.
- Add spice - Add red pepper flakes while roasting the vegetables to add a kick of spiciness.
- Add protein - Along with the roasted tomatoes toss in shrimp scallops or chunks of cooked chicken, salmon, swordfish, grilled steak or cubed tofu.
- Try it as a gluten free dish - Toss the sauce with zucchini or yellow squash spiralized noodles. They're so easy to make with a veggie noodle spiralizer. Roasted spaghetti squash is also delicious tossed with the roasted cherry tomato sauce.
- Make it saucy - To make the chunky roasted tomatoes into smooth and luscious sauce, puree with a blender or an immersion blender. Add some heavy cream, stock or pasta water to thin it as desired.
- Skip the pasta and make it an appetizer - Serve the chunky smashed tomatoes over crostini (get my easy crostini recipe here) or crackers.
Storage & reheating instructions
- Refrigerate: Completely cool the roasted tomatoes before storing. Refrigerate is for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. I love these meal prep containers for storing.
- Freeze: Put the cherry tomatoes in resealable plastic freezer bags. Flatten and seal the bags. They stack neatly in the freezer. The roasted cherry tomatoes will stay fresh up to 3 to 4 months.
Amy's top tip
For the most rich and intensely flavored roasted cherry tomatoes, choose the ripest tomatoes available. If the tomatoes are hard and green and white in spots, let them sit on the counter for a few days to fully ripen.
Frequently asked questions
No you don't. The tomato skins add texture and flavor to the recipe. And leaving the tomatoes unpeeled also speeds up making the recipe.
Fresh tomatoes are my first choice for this recipe. But in a pinch, canned cherry tomatoes can be used. Since the canned version is already cooked, reduce the roasting time to about 30 minutes.
What to serve with roasted tomato pasta
Roasted cherry tomato pasta makes a delicious side dish. These are my favorite dishes to serve with it.
More recipes like this one
One more thing
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a comment and a star rating below. Share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Thanks ~ Amy
Recipe
Oven Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 pints cherry tomatoes about 6 cups
- 1 medium onion chopped, about 1 ½ cups
- 6 garlic cloves chopped
- ⅓ cup white wine Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 15 to 20 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
- Cooked pasta or zucchini noodles for serving
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- To a large rimmed baking sheet, add the cherry tomatoes, chopped onion and chopped garlic. Spread out the vegetables on the pan.
- Add the white wine, salted butter, and olive oil.
- Sprinkle with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Toss the vegetables to combine.
- Roast in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until some of the tomatoes burst and are charred.
- Remove from the oven. Smash some of the tomatoes with the back of a large spoon.
- Serve tossed with cooked pasta or zucchini noodles and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
Carrie Robinson says
Such a perfect recipe to make with those fresh garden tomatoes! This is summer on a plate- yum. 🙂
Amy Casey says
I'm lucky enough to get cherry tomatoes from my neighbors. Home grown is the BEST!
NATALIA says
Oh, roasted tomato sauce is one of my absolute favorites, and yours looks outstanding! The rich, caramelized flavors of the roasted tomatoes are simply divine, and it's clear you've nailed the perfect balance of seasonings.
Amy Casey says
Thanks so much Natalia! Fresh basil, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes is such a classic combination of ingredients.
Moop Brown says
This sauce looks tasty and like something that would pair well with a variety of dishes. I also like that it can be frozen and stored for later use.
Amy Casey says
It's great to have this ready to pull out the freezer for a quick appetizer.
Alex says
Yes to 6 cloves of garlic! I don't understand recipes with 1, 2 or even 3. 😉 Your sauce came out just great and I'll be making it again in the future. Thanks a ton!
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe Alex. the more garlic the better!
Tristin says
This cherry tomato sauce was so easy to make and super delicious served with baked fish. Next time I’m going to try it on pasta!
Amy Casey says
This is a recipe I make frequently for my personal chef clients. It's a favorite with halibut and swordfish.
megane says
Oh, gosh! So much flavor in this super simple tomato sauce. I was lucky to use some homegrown cherry tomatoes with it.
Amy Casey says
Homegrown tomatoes are absolutely the BEST! And I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe Megane 🙂
Erin says
I made this for some homemade pasta, and it was incredible! I'm going to use your recipe from now. So much better than store-bought!
Amy Casey says
I've yet to make homemade pasta. I bet that it was so delicious with the roasted cherry tomato sauce.
Susan says
Roasted tomatoes like this are the BEST! I almost always have a jar of them in the refrigerator to add to all kinds of dishes for an umami boost. Great recipe!
Amy Casey says
That's a great idea Susan! I love the idea of having these tasty tomatoes on hand for easy snacks and meals.
veenaazmanov says
This sauce is a burst of flavors. The roasted Cherry tomatoes will definitely add a unique flavor to the sauce. The combination of wine, butter and spices is surely delicious.
Amy Casey says
Thanks! Cherry tomatoes in the summer months have so much flavor and this recipe "kicks it up a notch" even more.