Pasta of the Month: Roasted Tomato, Garlic, and Ricotta Pasta

Spring is finally here, which means that tomato season is right around the corner. In preparation, we wanted to share a fresh and flavorful pasta recipe that you can enjoy with tomatoes right from your own garden, whenever they decide to pop up: roasted tomato, garlic, and ricotta pasta.

Tomatoes are one of our favorite fruits to enjoy in-season (yes, tomatoes are a fruit) because their flavor is just so much better. A fresh, ripe, in-season tomato can completely transform a dish! To truly enjoy such great flavor, you’ll want to grab the freshest tomatoes you can and try this easy pasta recipe.

Our roasted tomato, garlic and ricotta pasta is the best meal for so many reasons. Whether you’re looking for a light pasta dinner or a fresh Italian tomato sauce recipe, you’ll come back to this recipe over and over again. Oh, and it comes together in just 30 minutes – yes, even with roasting!

Roasted Tomato Garlic And Ricotta Pasta Ingredients

When making pasta at home, it’s hard to go wrong if you use fresh, in-season ingredients. Focusing this pasta recipe mainly around the fresh flavors of tomato, garlic, basil, and ricotta gives it a light and healthy feeling that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from pasta!

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Vine tomatoes
• Yellow onion
• Fresh garlic
• Olive oil
• Dried basil
• Dried parsley
• Dried oregano
• Sea salt
• Penne pasta
• Red wine vinegar
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Ricotta
• Fresh basil

This roasted tomato and garlic pasta benefits from using the freshest, juiciest tomatoes you can find. Look for vine tomatoes that are bright red and give slightly under your fingertips with gentle pressure.

Note that you’ll want to use a cooking olive oil for this recipe, not extra virgin. This is because cooking oils have a lower smoke point, which means they can withstand higher temperatures. Since you’ll be roasting the tomatoes at 425 degrees F, you’ll need an olive oil that won’t degrade in flavor at such a high temperature.

We recommend penne pasta for this recipe, but you can really use any type of pasta noodle you like.

If you haven’t done so already, we can highly recommend buying a block of parmesan and grating it yourself for this recipe. Doing so leaves you with a much better texture versus the powdery pre-grated stuff, and a much fresher, real flavor.

How To Make Roasted Tomato Garlic Ricotta Pasta

We love making pasta for weeknight dinners because it almost always feels fancy and upscale while being surprisingly easy and quick to make. This flavorful Italian pasta with fresh tomato, garlic, and basil will only take you about 25 to 30 minutes to throw together – how’s that for easy?

You’ll make this recipe in two sequential steps: first, roast the tomatoes, onion, and garlic that will form the base of the sauce; then, make the sauce in the blender and combine it with the pasta before serving.

Roasting The Tomatoes, Onion, and Garlic

1. First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. While the oven is preheating, spread the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves out on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Next, combine the dry seasoning (basil, parsley, oregano, and sea salt) in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes, onion, and garlic.
4. Then, roast in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes are juicy and the garlic is fork tender.

Making The Sauce

1. While the veggies are in the oven, boil the penne according to the package directions. Once the pasta is done cooking, reserve some of the pasta water for later, and then drain. Set the cooked pasta aside.
2. Next, add the roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic to a blender along with the red wine vinegar, parmesan, and salt. Make sure to get all the juices that are in the pan into the blender. Blend on low speed until smooth, covering the lid with a rag to catch any potential splatter. The hot liquid will cause steam to build up inside the blender, which could force the lid open – which is why it’s important to blend on low speed!
3. Once the sauce is smooth, pour it over the pasta and add some of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine, then plate individual servings topped with a dollop of ricotta and some fresh basil.

Serving Suggestions

We recommend serving this fresh tomato and ricotta pasta with a side of Italian bread and dipping oils, or a crunchy salad. You don’t need much in addition to this pasta since it’s so flavorful on its own!

Storing And Reheating Leftovers

We call for the ricotta to be put on each plate individually not just for presentation and the fresh flavor, but also so that it isn’t mixed in with the pasta which will make it easier to store and reheat. You can store any leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. 

To reheat, transfer the pasta to a microwave safe bowl and heat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Once your pasta is warmed up, you can go ahead and top it with ricotta and fresh basil. Adding these fresh ingredients to your leftovers will make it feel like they aren’t leftovers at all!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You’re going to love this simple roasted tomato and garlic ricotta pasta for how quick and easy it is to prepare. Throw the tomatoes on a sheet pan, roast them in the oven while the pasta boils, and then make a quick sauce right in your blender before combining and serving. It’s the best low-effort, high-reward dinner you can make in just 30 minutes! 

Try our roasted tomato, garlic, and ricotta pasta recipe and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below. Enjoy!