Elevate your next meal with this pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto. An incredible recipe that screams Italy at every bite. It is loaded with creamy and delicate homemade pesto along with juicy and sweet roasted cherry tomatoes. Can't be missed!
This pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and homemade pesto is a fantastic recipe for families, busy mums, and college students looking for a healthy and flavorful meal. It’s also a perfect choice if you want to impress your partner with a romantic Italian dinner!
The pesto used here is slightly different from the well know Genovese Pesto. Instead of pine nuts, it uses almonds, giving the pesto a richer, nuttier flavour that pairs perfectly the pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes.
I have created a series of Italian pasta sauce recipes in case you are carving for more pasta. Try my smokey eggplant and tomatoes, burrata cheese with tomatoes sauce, spicy tomatoes sauce, ricotta cheese with parsley pesto, roman Amatriciana sauce or my baked pasta with mushroom and peas. They are all delicious!
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🍝Why you'll love this pasta with cherry tomato and pesto
This pasta is such a pleasing recipe, delish, easy and quick to prepare. It makes a great party food, to serves cold or warm. In case you want to speed up the cooking you can definitely buy the already made basil pesto. I will not judge you!
Family-friendly - Thanks to his simple and yet delicious flavour this recipe is loved by kids and adults. Who can say no to Italian pasta, right? I'm certain it will be a great hit.
Easy - No complicated steps here! Just roast the cherry tomatoes, blend the pesto ingredients, and cook the pasta. It’s straightforward and quick, perfect for busy families or when want a tasty meal without the fuss.
Diets - This is a jackpot recipe! It’s accommodates various diets, making it perfect for gatherings. It’s vegetarian and vegan-friendly (just swap the cheese with a vegan one), and it can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. A truly versatile dish that everyone can enjoy! Meaning less planning and cooking for you.
Double batch the pesto - You’re already making it, so why not double up? It’ll save you time for your next meal, and it’s perfect for sandwiches too. Plus, it freezes well, so you can keep extra on hand for whenever you need a quick meal!
Ingredients for pasta with tomato and pesto
- Basil - Buy fresh Italian basil, no the Thai one as it ha a different flavour. Make sure that the leaves are rigid and have a vibrant green colour. Avoid any wilted or pale leaves, as they won’t provide the same fresh, aromatic flavour.
- Garlic - Use one small garlic clove or half of a big one. Remember to peel and remove the germ. This will give a more delicate flavour and make the pesto easier to digest.
- Ice cube - It is the secret to keeping that beautiful green colour of the pesto!
- Cheese -Use Parmigiano Reggiano. Avoid pre-grated Parmigiano cheese, as it’s often a mix of different cheeses and can taste stronger, like Pecorino Romano. Instead, buy it in a chunk and grate it yourself for the best authentic flavour.
- Nuts - Use ground almond for this pesto recipe. This gives the pesto a slightly nuttier and richer flavour.
- Tomatoes - Buy cherries tomatoes for juice and sweet flavour. Other small tomatoes that works great are grapes tomatoes or datterini.
- Olive oil - Use extra virgin olive oil for roast the tomatoes and blend the pesto. It adds a rich, fruity flavour that enhances both the tomatoes and the pesto.
- Seasoning - Salt and pepper to enhance the tomatoes and pesto.
- Pasta - Use linguine pasta or look down below to see what pasta to use instead.
See recipe card for quantities.
What pasta goes better with roasted tomato and pesto sauce?
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to choosing pasta for pesto – it’s all about personal preference! However, the most commonly used pasta for pesto tends to be ridged and short. These types of pasta are perfect for trapping the sauce. The ridges and shapes allow the pesto to be trapped inside, ensuring that every bite is packed with flavour!
I’ve tested different types of pasta, and these are my favourites that work amazing with roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto sauce. Here are my fave:
- Gnocchetti Sardi
- Potatoes Gnocchi
- Trofie
- Penne
- Tonnarelli
- Trennette
- Rigatoni
- Casarecce
- Paccheri Rigati
- Fusilli
- Gemelli pasta
- Orecchiette
- Linguine
Most of these types of pasta are easily available in most stores. However, if they're not available where you live, it’s worth checking also any Italian deli store, either online or in-person. Italian delis often carry a wide range of authentic Italian products, perfect for Italian expats like me or anyone who wants to taste true Italian flavours!
Tomato and pesto instructions
- Step 1: Place the tomatoes, garlic, bails leaves, the olive oil and the seasoning in a casserole dish. Roasted them in a preheated oven for 23minutes.
- Step 2: In a blender add the cheese, garlic, the ground almond, ice cubes, olive oil and the basil leaves. Blend until it all combine.
📖Variations to try
This recipe is totally adjustable! You can easily customize it to suit your tastes and preferences. Next time you are making this pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto, try these ideas:
- Mozzarella - Add few mozzarella bowls into the pasta along with roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto.
- Burrata cheese - Burrata works great too. Break the burrata into pieces and add it to the pasta for a creamy and fresh finish.
- Stracciatella cheese - Top the pasta with a dollop of fresh stracciatella cheese for an extra creamy and indulgent touch.
- Cured meat - Add some baked Parma Ham for a crunch. On a baking tray lay down the slices of Parma ham and cook them for 10 minutes until crispy at high oven temperature. Remove them from the oven and set them aside until need it.
- Nuts - Swap the almond for pine nuts for a traditional pesto.
- Arugula - Try by swapping the basil leaves for arugula instead.
- Serve it cold - This version is just perfect for the hot season.
- Add onion - Add some slices of onion into the roasted cherry tomatoes for more flavour.
- Gluten-free - Transform this recipe into a gluten-free version by using gluten-free pasta.
If a guest or family member has a nut allergy, consider buying a store-bought pesto that’s labeled nut-free. Many brands offer versions without nuts, so everyone can safely enjoy the dish without worry.
Equipment and storage
To prepare this pasta recipe use knife to remove the germ from the garlic. Use a blender for the pesto that is be able to crush the ice cubes, while to roast the cherry tomatoes use a small casserole dish. To grate the Parmigiano Reggiano use a cheese grater. Cook the pasta using a deep pot. To speed up the process, I like to boil the water first in a kettle and then pour it into the pot to bring it quickly to a boil. To toss the pasta with the pesto use a large bowl.
Store the leftovers in one airtight container, once cooled off, and use within 3 days. Enjoy the pasta at room temperature, as warming up the pesto may cause it to darken, serve it with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
These ingredients don’t freeze well, as the pasta tends to dry out once defrosted. It’s best to enjoy the pasta with tomato and pesto once is fresh or few day after.
💭Top Tip
Fresh ingredients - Use always fresh ingredient.
Garlic - Remember to remove the inside germ of the garlic, for a mild flavour.
Tomatoes - Use the cherry tomatoes as whole, don't cut them in half. This way, they won’t lose too much juice. The best tomatoes to use are the small once, they are more juicier, sweeter and they roast faster.
Ice cube - Adding a couple of ice cubes while blending helps preserve the vibrant colour by cooling down the mixture quickly and preventing oxidation. It’s makes a huge difference!
Grated Parmigiano cheese - Grate the cheese before adding it to the blender; this way it will blend more smoothly and quickly into the pesto mixture.
FAQ
This pasta makes a great lunch the next day! Just store any leftovers in an airtight container. You can enjoy the tomato and pesto pasta cold or warmed up.
I wouldn't recommend cooking the tomatoes in a frying pan for this recipe. We want the tomatoes to soften up and release all the sweet juice without drying out the juice.
Yes, of course. Pesto is totally safe to eat it raw.
Pesto can be added on either cold or hot pasta, depending on how you plan to serve it. If you're making a cold pasta salad for Summer then mix the pesto with cooled pasta.
Pair it with
Here are few recipes that pairs perfectly with this pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes and pesto.
📖 Recipe
Pasta with cherry tomatoes and pesto
Equipment
- 1 Small casserole dish to roast the tomatoes
- 1 Blender to make the pesto
- 1 Knife to remove the germ from the garlic
- 1 Cheese grater to grate the Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 Pasta pot big enough to host the pasta
Ingredients
Roasted tomatoes
- 250 gr Cherry tomatoes 8.81 oz
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil extra virgin
- Salt a pinch
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 Garlic
- 4 Basil leaves
Basil pesto
- 70 gr Basil pesto 2.5 oz
- 55 gr Parmigiano Reggiano 1.9 oz
- 15 gr (2) Ice cube 0.5 oz
- 10 gr Ground Almond 0.4 oz
- 8 tablespoon Olive oil extra virgin
- ½ Garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon Maldon salt
Pasta
- 350 gr Linguine pasta 12,34 oz
- 2 tbs Pasta water
Instructions
Roasted tomatoes
- Preheat the oven at 150°C fan, 302°F, gas mark 2. Wash the tomatoes and the basil leaves to remove the dirt.
- Cut roughly the garlic and add it along with the rest of the ingredients in a casserole dish. Gently mix the ingredients using your hand.
- Once the oven is hot enough, roast the tomatoes for 23 minutes. Roast the tomatoes until they are soft and the skins are starting to wrinkle but still hold their shape. After the 10 minutes bedew the tomatoes with the cooking juice, place it in the oven and keep roasting.
Pesto basil
- Wash the basil leaves in cold water and drain them. Dry the leaves on a clean cloth and pat gently to remove the excess of the water. Remove the germ from the garlic, grate the Parmigiano Reggiano and set it aside.
- In a blender add the cheese, the garlic, salt, almonds, ice cube, bails leaves and the olive oil. Blend at high speed to few second until you have a smooth green pesto. Don't over blend as this may cause to heat up the pesto and may turn it brown.
Combine the ingredients
- Cook the pasta in a boiling salted water for the time written on the pack instruction. Once cooked reserved 2 tablespoon of the water and drain the pasta.
- In a big bowl add the pesto and the pasta water and combine. Add the pasta and toss it. Before serving the pasta add in every plate the roasted tomatoes along with the cooking juice. Serve immediately with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
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