Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomato Pasta

 

I got a new cookbook yesterday.  I had been anticipating it's arrival for quite some time.  Everyday Comfort by Holly Nilsson, author of Spend with Pennies.  Do you know what the mark of a good cookbook is?  You don't even have it in your hands for 24 hours and you are cooking one of the recipes from it.

That is the mark of a good cookbook.  I know my father and sister are going to roll their eyes when they read that I have gotten yet another cookbook.  Yes, cookbooks are a weakness of mine.  But, having written several cookbooks myself, I feel it is important to support other cookbook authors and I had been greatly anticipating the publication of this book since Holly announced it.

Let me also add.  She doesn't know me. I don't really know her, other than by having seen her recipes and I did purchase my own book.  I got it on Amazon.  So, this is my true and humble opinion. Its a great book, with loads of photographs and great recipes.

 

My sister had given me a huge tub of homegrown cherries tomatoes at the weekend, so it wasn't a difficult decision to make when it came to deciding which recipe to make first from the book. This Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe was right up my alley and I knew it would make short work of those tomatoes before they went off.

Is there anything more delicious than ripe, in-season tomatoes, right off the vine?  I think not, well  . . .  unless you are talking about a tasty pasta sauce made with them.  This is fabulous!

Not only is it delicious, but it makes a wonderful use of fresh tomatoes. If you don't have cherry tomatoes, you can use the equivalent of any garden tomato, cutting them down to size.  

It is also super quick and super easy to make.  I did cut the quantities down to feed only two people, but you can very easily double them to feed more.  I hope you will be inspired to give this tasty recipe a go!  You won't be sorry!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED BALSAMIC CHERRY TOMATO PASTA

Just a few simple ingredients and about a half an hour of your time. It really could not be simpler or quicker to make this tasty dish!  Amounts given are for two servings.

• 3 cups (.75kg) cherry tomatoes (you can halve if you wish and they are largish. I left them whole.)
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS good quality Balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (1/2 pound/227g) dry spaghetti noodles or linguine
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
• fresh basil leaves to garnish

 

My sister had given me a large tub of her own homegrown cherry tomatoes.  So sweet and delicious. They were not overly large so I did not cut them in half, instead leaving them whole. If your tomatoes are largish, I do recommend that you cut them in half.

Make sure you use a good quality olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar. This is not the time to be cheap.  The quality will make a huge difference in the taste of this simple sauce.

Salt the pasta cooking water generously.  I also like plenty of cracked black pepper in my pasta so I probably used a bit more than the recipe called for.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED BALSAMIC CHERRY TOMATO PASTA

It really could not be easier than this.  So much so that I am sure it will become a firm family favorite!  I guarantee that it will!

Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready a 9 by 15 inch baking dish.

Spray the baking dish with some avocado oil spray. Add the cherry tomatoes. You can cut them in half if they are large. Mine were not.

 

Toss together with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Bang the pan into the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender.

Add the pasta to the boiling water while the tomatoes are roasting. Cook according to the package directions to al dente. Drain, without rinsing, reserving some of the pasta water.

Add the drained pasta to the dish containing the roasted cherry tomatoes, tossing everything together to coat. Add some of the pasta water if needed to bring to a sauce consistency.

Serve hot and garnished with the Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

Notes

You can replace the cherry tomatoes with the equivalent of any other variety of fresh garden tomato. Cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch chunks and increase the roasting time to 25 to 30 minutes.

 

This tasty recipe came together quickly and easily and was a really great way to use up that big container of cherry tomatoes my sister had brought to me.  The tomatoes get all juicy and even sweeter when roasted, making their own sauce.  The Balsamic vinegar really helps to heighten their natural sweetness.

I enjoyed this delicious sauce with some cooked spaghettini and garlic cheese bread on the side. It made for a fabulous meal which I really enjoyed! I highly recommend. If you want to feed more people, simply double all of the ingredients.

  

I freely admit that Pasta is one of my weaknesses.  I could just sit down and eat a plain bowl of buttered pasta with nothing but salt and pepper on it and be quite happy. If you also enjoy pasta, you might also be interested in these additional simple pasta recipes!

 PASTA E PISELLI - Simple ingredients put together in a simple way.  Pasta, peas, water and cheese. It doesn't get any simpler or easier than this. You wouldn't think that simple things like this could come together in such a delicious way, but like magic, they do!  I love this.

BOW TIE PASTA WITH SPROUTS AND BACON - Pasta, sprouts and bacon are three of my absolute favorite things, so I just love this dish. Its a very simple recipe and goes together really quickly if you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go. The sprouts get all caramelized on the edges, which I really love. Crisp salty bacon and those nutty crispy-tender sprouts in a creamy sauce with plenty of cheese scattered over top! What's not to love about this! 

Yield: Two servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Roasted Balsamic Cherry Tomato Pasta

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Quick, easy and delicious. The cherry tomatoes roast while you cook the pasta, ready to toss together when done.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (.75kg) cherry tomatoes (you can halve if you wish and they are largish. I left them whole.)
• 2 fat cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 1/2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS good quality Balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (1/2 pound/227g) dry spaghetti noodles or linguine
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
• fresh basil leaves to garnish

Instructions

1. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil. Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready a 9 by 15 inch baking dish.
2. Spray the baking dish with some avocado oil spray. Add the cherry tomatoes. You can cut them in half if they are large. Mine were not.
3. Toss together with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Bang the pan into the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes or until tender.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water while the tomatoes are roasting. Cook according to the package directions to al dente. Drain, without rinsing, reserving some of the pasta water.
5. Add the drained pasta to the dish containing the roasted cherry tomatoes, tossing everything together to coat. Add some of the pasta water if needed to bring to a sauce consistency.
6. Serve hot and garnished with the Parmesan cheese and basil leaves.

Notes

You can replace the cherry tomatoes with the equivalent of any other variety of fresh garden tomato. Cut larger tomatoes into 1/2 inch chunks and increase the roasting time to 25 to 30 minutes.

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