Slow Roasted Tomato & Garlic Pasta
Oct 03, 2020, Updated Dec 02, 2024
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This is the kind of recipe I just love to make in the summer. The tomatoes are cooked low and slow, for 3 hours at 225F with zero hands on time, meaning dinner won’t be contributing to this heatwave we’ve had going on.
I learned this method from a friend and former colleague from Martha Stewart, Jane Sweeney, who learned it from her Mother in Law (I really appreciate these sorts of things). The tomatoes take 5 minutes to prep, and come out of the oven intensely flavored and sweet and make a most delicious sauce with hardly any effort. Jane now contributes to the Cool Mom Picks website with accessible, family friendly recipes like this one that is on my list to try.
This sauce is also an excellent toast topper with ricotta, spooned over grilled chicken, or used as the tomato in a caprese salad. It’s just an all around great recipe to have in your back pocket.
I use Jovial Foods brown rice pasta in this dish, as I do in many of my pasta dishes, but feel free to use any pasta you and your family likes. There is almost no shape or variety that won’t work here. Enjoy!
Yes! While the recipe calls for brown rice pasta, you can use any pasta you prefer, such as spaghetti, penne, or gluten-free options. Just be sure to cook it according to the package instructions.
For this recipe, fresh cherry tomatoes are preferred because they concentrate and become sweet during the slow roasting. Canned tomatoes won’t provide the same texture or flavor profile. If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, you could try roasting other types of fresh tomatoes, but results may vary.
No, you should roast the garlic cloves in their skins. Roasting in the skin helps protect the garlic from burning and allows it to become soft and sweet. After roasting, simply discard the skins and smash the garlic.
The tomatoes should be shriveled, slightly caramelized, and intensely flavored. They will appear smaller, darker, and concentrated. If they still look too juicy or haven’t shriveled, continue roasting for another 15-30 minutes.
You can substitute fresh basil with other fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or oregano. Alternatively, you can omit the garnish altogether or use a pinch of dried herbs.
Table of Contents
Slow Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta
Serves 4
1.5 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
5 garlic cloves, in skin
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1 lb. pasta of choice (I use Jovial brown rice pasta)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, for garnish
Fresh parmesan, grated, for serving
Preheat oven to 225F.
On a large sheet pan, toss together the halved tomatoes with ¼ cup olive oil, the 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic cloves in their skin.
Roast for 3 hours, untouched. When finished they should be shriveled, intensely flavored and sweet.
Once out of the oven, discard the garlic skin and smash the garlic a bit.
In a large bowl, stir the tomatoes and garlic with the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil.
Top with hot, cooked pasta and ½ cup reserved pasta water.
Serve with grated parmesan and basil, if desired.
