Description
Roasted Tomato Garlic Ricotta Pasta brings garden-fresh comfort straight to your dinner table with minimal effort. Fresh ingredients meld together creating a simple yet satisfying pasta that feels like a warm hug from your favorite Italian grandmother.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 450g ripe medium vine tomatoes
- 225g pasta
- 120g ricotta cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 small whole garlic head
- 30ml olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Garnish and Finishing Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- Handful fresh basil leaves
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Pasta cooking water
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread 1 pound halved tomatoes and 1 whole garlic head on a baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over them. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes. Toss everything to coat evenly.
- Roast the tomatoes and garlic for 25-35 minutes until tomatoes burst and garlic turns golden and soft. Your kitchen will smell incredible during this process.
- While roasting occurs, mix ½ cup ricotta cheese with chopped fresh basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Stir until well combined.
- Fill a large pot with salted water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 8 ounces pasta and cook until perfectly al dente, following package instructions.
- Before draining pasta, scoop out 1 cup of starchy cooking water. Drain pasta completely in a colander.
- Transfer drained pasta to a large serving bowl. Add roasted tomatoes and garlic. Mash soft garlic cloves into the tomatoes using a fork.
- Fold the prepared ricotta mixture into the pasta. Slowly add reserved pasta water, starting with ½ cup, then adding more until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency that smoothly coats every strand.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Top generously with grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves before serving immediately.
Notes
- Roast tomatoes and garlic until they’re deeply caramelized for the most intense flavor profile possible.
- Reserve pasta water carefully since it’s crucial for creating a silky, emulsified sauce that clings perfectly to the pasta.
- When mashing roasted garlic, break it down completely to distribute its rich, mellow flavor throughout the entire dish.
- For a lighter version, swap whole milk ricotta for part-skim ricotta and reduce the olive oil by half without losing the recipe’s core deliciousness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
- Category: Roasted
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg