Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta
This easy Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta is made with sweet roasted tomatoes, pasta, and flavorful pesto with fresh Parmesan! It pairs well as a side dish or is tasty served as a main dish! We love it warm, but it’s also amazing to make ahead for a summer dish!
Today’s Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta recipe is a heartier pesto dish that is delightful served as a main dish (vegetarian), or you can even add a protein (chicken, steak, fish). It’s a wonderful side dish to serve with any Italian meal, and is also tasty served cold the next day. So many options!
I’m always looking for ways to use up leftover tomatoes sitting in the fridge or on the counter, which is why I love this Pesto Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. I just love the combo of tomato and pesto, like our chicken pesto pasta salad. For another favorite, just add pesto to a vinaigrette to make the most delicious dressing for this Best Italian Pasta Salad (with sweet tomatoes).
Tomatoes (especially heirloom) are amazing, but, have you ever had roasted tomatoes? When we had our 12 garden beds in southern Oregon, tomatoes were plentiful in the summer. So I was quick at “roasting our own tomatoes.” The tomatoes turn out candied, crinkly, and shriveled up (the longer you roast them). They will taste very sweet, but also very savory! Roasting is the best secret to any “tomato and pasta” dish!
Why roast the tomatoes?
Here’s why I roast the tomatoes, rather than just putting them in fresh. Roasting them brings out the sweetness, and makes them much more tender and bursting with flavor. It’s really an extra layer of deliciousness, especially when combined with pesto!
Can you add pesto to any pasta?
You really can just add pesto to any pasta. It’s one of the easiest meals you can make. But the addition of “roasted tomatoes” really takes this dish to the next level.
How much pesto do you need? Don’t skimp on the pesto! You need to make sure the pasta is well-coated. In our recipe, we use 1 pound of pasta and 1/2 cup of pesto. But you can always add more (or less).
Which pasta is best with pesto? Anything pasta works with pesto – spaghetti (which we used), curvy pasta options like rotini and fussili, even larger bites or shells. Pesto and pasta just go together! I used spaghetti today because that is what I had stocked in my pantry. RW For my chicken pesto pasta we used penne, and that would be great here as well as bow-ties, fettuccine, or rigatoni!
This dish just comes together beautifully!
What you need to make Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Pasta: Spaghetti is probably my go-to pasta, but angel hair works great for this recipe, too.
- Pesto: Pressed for time? Use your favorite store bought jarred pesto for this recipe! Although homemade pesto comes together quickly, and it’s my preference, some nights we just grab a jar of store-bought. As far as pesto brands, I have used Delallo in the past, but there are other brands that taste just fine!
- Tomatoes: Grape or cherry are the best. They are usually sweet and juicy. In the summer, you can roast heirloom tomatoes (they will be very juicy, just roast them longer).
- Other: Olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt and pepper, dried oregano, chili flakes.
- Cheese and herbs: Fresh Parmesan (freshly grated is best), fresh basil and oregano.
How do you roast tomatoes?
- I always prepare a large baking sheet with foil – this makes for easy clean-up!
- Add the tomatoes to the baking sheet with the olive oil, add the pressed garlic, salt, oregano, and chili flakes. With your hands, mix together the tomatoes, so the oil and seasoning is evenly dispersed. Spread the tomatoes out evenly and place in the oven. Add another shake of salt and a few cracks of pepper and bake!
Serving – can I eat pesto pasta cold?
You can serve this dish hot or cold or warm! That’s what I love about the recipe. I personally think warm is best, but you can eat this cold right out of the fridge and the pasta and tomatoes are still delicious, and it also reheats nicely as well for lunch leftovers!
Once the tomatoes are roasted you cook the pasta, and add pesto, tomatoes, and a few other spices and cheese. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil (or oregano, or both).
Serve with hot herb bread and a fresh house salad. Delish! Oh, and how about our Strawberry Pie Filling Dessert with vanilla ice cream to round out the menu?
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days! If any leftovers, add it to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees (also so good). Just add extra cheese on top!
More easy pasta recipes to try while you are here:
Get the Recipe:
Roasted Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grape tomatoes, I buy organic from Trader Joe’s
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 Tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- Fresh black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta, we also love angel hair pasta
- ½ cup pesto
- ½ cup Fresh Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- Fresh oregano or basil, chopped for garnish
Equipment
- 1 colander
Instructions
Roast the tomatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare a large baking sheet with foil. Add the tomatoes to the baking sheet.
- Add the olive oil, add the pressed garlic, salt, oregano, and chili flakes.
- With your hands, mix together the tomatoes, so the oil and seasoning is evenly dispersed. Spread the tomatoes out evenly and place in the oven.
- Add another shake of salt and a few cracks of pepper!
- Bake for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice to turn over the tomatoes (mix it up!) until the tomatoes are roasted. The tomatoes will eventually be candied, crinkly, and shriveled up. They will taste very sweet, but also very savory! If you want them a little more crunchy, you can place them back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Make the pasta dish:
- Scrape the tomatoes into a serving dish and add the pesto.
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions, cooking it al dente (about 1 minute less).
- Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and add the pasta back into the pot. Add the pasta water, pesto, and roasted tomato mixture, and Parmesan cheese; gently toss together.
- Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil (or oregano, or both).
- Enjoy!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
