Roasted Tomato & Garlic Pasta
Umami-rich pasta with jammy roasted tomatoes, caramelized garlic, and parmesan. Simple ingredients, maximum flavor.
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes: 800 g (6 cups)
- Garlic: 8 cloves
- Olive oil: 60 g (1/4 cup)
- Salt: 1 1/2 tsp
- Red pepper flakes: 1/2 tsp
- Pasta: 400 g (14 oz)
- Parmesan: 80 g (1 cup grated)
- Basil: handful
Instructions
- 1
Toss tomatoes, garlic, oil, and salt.
- 2
Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 30–40 minutes until jammy.
- 3
Cook pasta in salted water.
- 4
Smash roasted tomatoes into a sauce.
- 5
Add pasta, parmesan, and basil. Toss until emulsified.
Notes
The long roast time concentrates the tomato flavor and caramelizes the natural sugars. The garlic becomes sweet and mellow. This is umami in its purest form.
What Makes This Work
Umami. Roasted tomatoes, caramelized garlic, aged parmesan - all high in glutamates. That’s what creates the depth.
200°C for 30-40 minutes. The tomatoes burst, release their juices, caramelize. The garlic turns sweet and jammy. This is where the flavor comes from.
Don’t rush it. The tomatoes should be deeply caramelized, not just softened.
The Method
Smash the roasted tomatoes with a fork. Don’t blend them. You want texture, not smooth sauce.
Reserve pasta water. The starch emulsifies the sauce with the cheese. This is how you get it to coat the pasta instead of being oily.
Toss the pasta in the sauce, don’t pour sauce over pasta. Toss vigorously. Every strand should be coated.
What You’re Building
- Fat: Olive oil and parmesan
- Salt: Seasoning and parmesan
- Acid: Tomatoes
- Heat: 200°C roasting caramelizes everything
Simple ingredients, proper technique. That’s it.