This simple yet stunning pasta dish is ready to serve in under an hour. The tomatoes are roasted with olive oil and garlic until they become jammy, allowing their flavor to intensify, yielding spectacularly sweet-tart tomatoes perfect over pasta.
Finely crumbled feta is the perfect cheese for this recipe. Its salty flavor compliments the roasted tomatoes and the addition of fresh herbs adds a bright flavor to the dish.
Using a variety of cherry and grape tomatoes makes the final dish pop with color. If your market sells only red cherry tomatoes, use them! Your dish will be just as delicious.
Use your favorite herbs to sprinkle over the pasta. I used parsley, basil and lots of refreshing mint.
Slicing the tomatoes in half and roasting cut side up allows them to take on a nice color and a bit of caramelization.
Long and delicate pasta or shorter shapes like campanelle or orecchiette pairs well with this dish. If you want to serve the tomatoes as an appetizer, scoop some on grilled sourdough bread and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and fresh herbs. Delicious!
Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Herbs & Feta Pasta
2
servingsIngredients
1 pound cherry tomatoes or a variety of cherry and grape tomatoes sliced in half
2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pinches red pepper flakes (optional)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup finely crumbled feta cheese (Mt. Vikos recommended)
Handful of fresh herbs, chopped (use your favorites: basil, mint, parsley, chives, tarragon)
4 -5 ounces dried pasta (angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, orecchiette, campanelle)
Directions
- Preheat oven or large toaster oven to 425 degrees.
- Place sliced tomatoes in a baking dish large enough to fit them in a single layer. Drizzle 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and a few pinches of red pepper flakes if using. Toss the tomatoes in the seasoned olive oil. Using small tongs or a spoon, arrange tomatoes cut side up. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove tomatoes from the oven and add the garlic. Turn heat up to 450 degrees and roast for another 5 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and set aside.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer pasta to a low sided serving dish. Give the tomatoes a stir, taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Spoon tomatoes and their juices over the pasta. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top along with the fresh herbs. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Any leftover pasta can be eaten the following day. For a breakfast dish, discard any liquid from the pasta. Combine the pasta and tomatoes with a few whisked eggs and extra cheese if you like. Cook in a buttered skillet over medium low heat, flipping once. Serve with fresh herbs and hot sauce.