Description
This Roasted Tomato and Garlic Ricotta Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring caramelized vine tomatoes and soft roasted garlic blended into a creamy sauce with ricotta cheese. The sauce is tossed with perfectly cooked pasta and fresh basil, topped with grated parmesan for a rich, satisfying meal ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables
- 450 g (1 pound) ripe medium vine tomatoes, halved
- 1 small whole garlic head (or 4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled)
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Pasta and Sauce
- 225 g (8 oz) pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, or other type)
- About 240 ml (1 cup) pasta cooking water, reserved
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 120 g (1/2 cup) ricotta cheese
- Handful fresh basil leaves
To Serve
- Grated parmesan cheese, to taste
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) to prepare for roasting the tomatoes and garlic.
- Prepare Vegetables: Place the halved tomatoes on a baking dish. Cut the top off the whole garlic head to expose the cloves and place it alongside the tomatoes.
- Season: Drizzle the tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper to enhance the roasting flavors.
- Roast: Roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the dish, cover it with kitchen foil, and place it back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and caramelized, and the garlic is soft.
- Cook Pasta: While roasting, cook the pasta in heavily salted boiling water until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve about 240 ml (1 cup) of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Make Sauce: Squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of the skins into a blender along with the roasted tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and optional chili flakes. Add the ricotta cheese and about 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the reserved pasta water, then blend until smooth.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: In a large skillet or pan over medium heat, combine the blended tomato sauce with the cooked pasta. Toss to coat the pasta evenly, adding more pasta water as needed to adjust the sauce consistency. Heat through gently.
- Season to Taste: Taste the pasta and adjust seasoning by adding more salt or pepper as desired.
- Serve: Serve the pasta in bowls garnished with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy your flavorful roasted tomato and garlic ricotta pasta!
Notes
- Use ripe vine tomatoes for the sweetest flavor and best caramelization.
- Adjust chili flakes according to your preferred spice level or omit if you prefer a milder sauce.
- Reserve pasta cooking water as it helps to loosen the sauce and allows it to cling to the pasta better.
- Use fresh basil both in the sauce and as garnish for vibrant herbal notes.
- For a creamier texture, add a little extra ricotta or pasta water while blending the sauce.
- If you don’t have a blender, mash the roasted tomatoes and garlic finely and mix with ricotta manually, though the sauce will be less smooth.
