Roasted Cherry Tomato and Ricotta Pasta

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Ricotta Pasta. Made with a pinch of chilli flakes, lots of garlic and fresh basil. It's creamy, full of flavour, and so easy to make.

This is such a simple pasta recipe that the whole family loves. Our 3-year-old devours it every time, and it couldn't be easier.

Roast the cherry tomatoes with plenty of garlic and a pinch of chilli flakes, if desired, until they are sweet, jammy and slightly charred. Blend them with ricotta and Parmigiano cheese, and it's pretty much done.

The ricotta creates a good creamy sauce without adding too much richness, while the tomatoes add so much flavour once roasted.

We've listed some substitutions in the ingredient notes below so you can use whatever you have on hand. This is a great recipe to have in your back pocket for a simple weeknight dinner.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Cherry tomatoes: We like cherry or grape tomatoes for their sweetness, but you can use a mix of other tomatoes. We'll often throw in a few larger tomatoes, roughly chopped, that are hanging around our kitchen.
• Garlic: We use 3 large cloves. You can use more or less if you prefer. When garlic is roasted, the flavour mellows a lot so the sauce doesn't have a pungent garlic flavour.
• Ricotta: Instead of ricotta, you could use heavy cream, mascarpone or even a tangy soft cheese such as stracchino.
• Chilli flakes (not pictured): We add a tiny pinch (1/4 teaspoon), which adds a subtle kick and warmth (our 3-year-old eats it with this, so it's not spicy). You can opt to leave them out, add more or even roast fresh red chillies with the tomatoes instead.
• Spaghetti: spaghetti or linguine work well with this sauce, but most short pasta shapes would also work well.
• Parmigiano Reggiano: Pecorino Romano would also work well!

Our top tip!

Emulsify the sauce: this is our biggest tip for this recipe. The consistency of the sauce after blending is quite thick, so you want to loosen it with pasta water.

We add around 120ml (1/2 cup) while the pasta is cooking, then add more if needed once the pasta has been added. Toss everything together until the sauce is smooth, creamy and coats the spaghetti well.

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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 450 g (1lb) cherry tomatoes
• 3 large garlic cloves with skins
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
• 1/4 cup (60g) ricotta
• 1/3 cup (20g) Parmigiano Reggiano ((finely grated) plus extra for serving)
• 1 small handful fresh basil
• 400 g (14oz) Spaghetti (or other dried pasta)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Equipment

• Baking tray
• Blender

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180℃/350℉fan or 200℃/400℉ static.

2. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them on a baking tray. Add the 3 cloves of garlic (keep the skins on) then drizzle over 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes so they are facing cut side up.

3. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt and pepper then roast in the oven for around 25 minutes until soft, jammy and slightly charred.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.

5. Once roasted, transfer the cherry tomatoes to a blender. Remove the skins from the garlic and add that to the blender too alongside the ricotta and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

6. Blitz until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Transfer the sauce to a pan and add a small handful of torn basil leaves.

7. Add your pasta to the water and cook until al dente. As the pasta is cooking, heat the sauce on low. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) of pasta water to loosen the sauce and stir until combined. Add more pasta water as needed. We usually add 1/2 cup (120ml) total before adding the pasta then a splash more once the pasta has been added.

8. Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until coated. Add more pasta water as needed until you have a smooth and emulsified sauce.

9. Serve in bowls topped with more Parmigiano.

Kitchen notes

• Prep in advance: the sauce can be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove and loosen with pasta water as directed.
• We don't recommend freezing.