Pasta with burst cherry tomato sauce
This pasta sauce is packed with flavor, from a balsamic reduction to its roasted garlic and tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes* washed and dried
- 3 cloves garlic sliced the long way
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound pasta**
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan plus more for topping
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- On a large parchment lined baking sheet mix together tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic for 45 minutes, mixing them every 15 minutes. If after 45 minutes the baking sheet still seems to have a lot of tomato juice, keep cooking for another 5-10 minutes.
- During the last 15 minutes of roasting the tomatoes, place the balsamic vinegar into a small pot over medium low heat. When the vinegar starts to simmer, reduce the heat just enough to maintain a low but consistent simmer. Continue to reduce the vinegar until about 3 tablespoons remain and the vinegar lightly sticks to the back of a spoon. Set aside until the tomatoes and pasta are ready.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the directions on the box, adding about 1 tablespoon of salt to the water, prior to adding the pasta. Before draining the pasta, reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water.
- When all the components are ready mix together the pasta, tomatoes and garlic, vinegar, ¼ cup of pasta water, and parmesan. Taste the pasta and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Plate the pasta, then top with additional parmesan if desired. Serve alone or with French bread, salad, or some roasted veggies.
Notes
*Tomatoes: You can use other types of tomatoes but be sure to cut them into smaller pieces. They may also take a little longer to cook, keep cooking until most of the tomato juice has cooked off. You may also want to peel larger tomatoes if the skin will bother you.
**Pasta: I recommend using shorter pastas, especially those with ridges such as rotini, rotelle, cavatappi, or penne.
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