Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Pasta

Tested this one. It was plenty for 8 people. IMG_3213

Was Excellent with following caveats:

  1. When guests were late, tomatoes sat in the oven too long and ended up soggy and not identifiable. Try to time it better (make the guests wait rather than having soggy tomatoes?).
  2. Ricotta must be full strength of fat – our case, 7% fat, did not melt, just sort of sat as a white residue..
  3. Definite need for salt and Pecorino or Parmesan
  4. For those who tolerate bacon, you can add a bit of it for the taste (see step 3), but it is not at all necessary.
  • 500g red cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 500g yellow cherry tomatoes
  • 500g small green heirloom tomatoes, quartered
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons slivered garlic
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 125ml chiffonade fresh basil leaves
  • 60 ml chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
  • 500g your favourite pasta (Linguine, German egg pasta, angel hair..)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • A few rashes of good smoked bacon (optional, for non-vegetarian version)
  • 250g whole-milk (NOT SKIM!) ricotta, crumbled
  • 125ml toasted pine nuts
  • 125 ml grated Pecorino
  • Additional chopped fresh herbs, garnish
  • Hot French or Italian bread, accompaniment
  1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F/175C.
  2. In a large, glass baking dish, toss the tomatoes with the oil, garlic, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper.IMG_3203
  3. If using, cover the mixture with streaks of bacon. It should crisp under the heat before you stir for the first time.
  4. Roast until the tomatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, 40 to 45 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and add the basil, parsley, and oregano. Stir well.
  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes.
  7. Drain and return to pot.
  8. Toss with the olive oil.
  9. Add the tomatoes and pan juices and cook over low heat until hot, 1 to 2 minutes.
  10. Add the ricotta salata cheese and stir until mostly melted, about 1 minute.
  11. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  12. Toss with the pine nuts and Pecorino cheese.
  13. Garnish with additional herbs, as desired, and serve immediately.

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Pasta and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *