Sheet-Pan Roasted Tomato Sauce for Pasta
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A robust roasted tomato sauce that you can make with ease! This spicy sauce is made on one sheet pan with cherry tomatoes, chili and extra virgin olive oil and pairs with any type of pasta. Dress up the finished plate with fresh basil and ricotta cheese for one of my best elevated pasta dinner ideas.
Me and pasta. It’s one love, one heart if you know what I mean. This sheet pan pasta sauce is my lazy version of a classic all’amatriciana sauce recipe. It’s easily made on a rimmed baking sheet with a handful of ingredients — because pasta dinner on a sheet pan makes life so much easier.
Pasta is satisfying, affordable, and is the base of totally delicious meals—and I’d say that’s an undebatable fact.
But still, there’s a little secret to making a recipes for beautiful plates of pasta that rises above the ordinary.
List of ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes: Fresh cherry tomatoes or small vine tomatoes such as Campari are good choices. They’ll have enough juice to produce a saucy texture.
- Chili pepper: Fresh red chili and/or crushed red pepper will have varying levels of heat. Adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Dried pasta: You can pair this sauce with any type of short pasta, or long pasta like spaghetti or bucatini, which is what I used. Bucatini is long pasta that resembles chubby spaghetti, only it’s hollow all the way through. It has an irresistibly sturdy bite and is on best terms with robust, chunky sauces like this one.
Recipe steps for sheet pan tomato sauce
Toss extra-virgin olive oil, fresh tomatoes on a sheet pan with chili pepper. Roast 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are very soft. Top with garlic and fresh basil, and gently mash into a sauce.
- Add some of the starchy pasta water to the tomatoes to loosen the sauce.
- For a restaurant-worthy plate, dish out the pasta and serve with a creamy dollop of ricotta cheese.
Sheet-Pan Roasted Tomato Sauce for Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (680 g) cherry tomatoes, or vine tomatoes such as Campari
- ¼ cup (65 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ – 1 teaspoon crushed red chili, to taste
- 1 fresh red chili pepper, halved lengthwise, optional
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces (340 g) dried bucatini or spaghetti
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (125 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
- Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 (220C) degrees.
- Put half of the cherry tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Slice the remaining tomatoes in half and add to the baking sheet.
- Toss the tomatoes with the oil, crushed red pepper, fresh chili and ¾ teaspoon salt.
- Roast 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes are very soft, shriveled and juicy. Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to lightly crush the tomatoes. For extra heat, chop the chili pepper and add back to the sauce, otherwise remove it.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions 7 – 10 minutes for perfect al dente texture.
- Scoop out ½cup of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl (cover to keep warm).
- Pour ¼ cup of the pasta water onto the sheet pan. Add the garlic and stir to create a saucy, chunky consistency, adding additional water little by little as needed. Stir in the basil.
- Add about half the sauce to the pasta and toss to coat. To serve, portion the pasta into bowls and add 2 tablespoons ricotta alongside. Add more sauce to taste and sprinkle with grated cheese
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
Can you make this with beef steak/roma tomatoes?
Yes, you can! Slice your tomatoes into 2-inch chunks and roast as directed.