Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
Snowy winter weekends are made for pasta nights. Making a fresh sauce is wonderfully simple—and an easy way to elevate even the most basic bowl of pasta.
Sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic, thyme, and onion are roasted, bringing out their jammy sweetness. The vegetables are then blended and stirred into your favorite noodles. That’s all it takes. As always, the flavor comes from the quality of the ingredients, which is why I like to start with sweet, organic cherry tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS
- 2½ cups cherry tomatoes, washed on the vine
- 1 white onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated but left unpeeled
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic, and thyme in a baking dish. Sprinkle with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and bursting and the onions are tender.
- Remove from the oven and allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Discard the thyme stems and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins.
- Transfer the tomatoes, onion, roasted garlic, and the juices from the bottom of the baking dish to a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Store the sauce in the refrigerator until ready to use. When ready to serve, gently warm the sauce in a saucepan and toss with just-cooked pasta.
