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Best Easy Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit Pasta Sauce

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This Easy Cherry Tomato and Garlic Confit Pasta Sauce is made by slow-roasting cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil until sweet and caramelized, then blending into a silky, restaurant-quality sauce. It’s a simple, hands-off weeknight dinner that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 10–12 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound pasta (any shape, such as pappardelle or rigatoni)
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Add the garlic cloves to the baking sheet, scattering them among the tomatoes. Drizzle generously with about ¼ cup olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Toss gently to coat, then spread everything in a single layer.
  3. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the tomatoes are wrinkled and starting to caramelize and the garlic is soft and golden. Halfway through, give the pan a gentle shake for even cooking.
  4. While the tomatoes roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  5. Transfer the roasted tomatoes and garlic to a blender or large bowl (if using an immersion blender). Add the fresh basil leaves and a small splash of the reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth, leaving it slightly chunky if desired.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes. If using balsamic vinegar, stir it in now.
  7. Combine the sauce with the drained pasta in a large bowl or pot. Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Toss well to coat every piece of pasta.
  8. Serve immediately with a generous shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and extra basil leaves on top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired.

Notes

Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet; use two sheets if needed to ensure tomatoes roast instead of steam. Use good quality olive oil as it’s a main flavor component. Reserve more pasta water than you think you need for a silky emulsion. Let the garlic confit properly—if still firm after 35 minutes, give it 5-10 more minutes. Time your pasta and sauce to finish together for best results. The sauce can be stored separately from pasta in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: cherry tomato pasta sauce, garlic confit, easy pasta sauce, roasted tomato sauce, weeknight dinner, vegetarian pasta, homemade pasta sauce

Find it online: https://junomeals.com/best-easy-cherry-tomato-and-garlic-confit-pasta-sauce/