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Sheet-Pan Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

4.63 from 32 community reviews

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This is a robust roasted tomato sauce that you can make entirely hands-free! This spicy sauce is made on a sheet pan with cherry tomatoes, red pepper, and extra virgin olive oil and pairs with any type of pasta. Dress up the finished plate withย fresh basil and ricotta cheese and enjoy one of my favorite pasta dinners.ย 

Thick spaghetti pasta twirls on a serving plate, sauced with chunky tomatoes, chopped basil and a sccop of ricotta cheese.

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 the classic all’amatriciana sauce recipe. It’s easily made on a rimmed baking sheet with a handful of ingredients โ€” because pasta dinner on a sheet pan makes life so much easier.

Prepped ingredients on a surface, including fresh vine tomatoes, garlic, red chili pepper, parmesan cheese and dried bucatini pasta.

Key ingredient tips

  • Cherry tomatoes: I’ve experimented with different types of tomatoes, and I’ve found that cherry tomatoes or small, greenhouse-grown vine tomatoes give up the most juice for that ultimate saucy texture.
  • Garlic: I recommend using fresh garlic that has been grated or very finely chopped because the fine texture is the best way to infuse the sauce with flavor quickly. Adding it toward the end of roasting the tomatoes ensures the garlic doesn’t burn.

Steps for success: Making roasted tomato sauce

  • For a restaurant-worthy plate, dish out the pasta and serve with a creamy dollop of ricotta cheese.
Roasted tomatoes on a sheet pan topped with fresh basil, crushed with a wood spoon.

Sheet-Pan Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

Karen Tedesco
A robust roasted tomato sauce that you can make almost hands-free! This spicy sauce is made on a sheet pan with cherry tomatoes, red pepper and extra virgin olive oil. It pairs with any type of pasta. Dress up the finished plate withย fresh basil and ricotta cheese for an elevated pasta dinner.
Print
4.63 from 32 community reviews
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1ยฝ pounds (680 g) cherry tomatoes, or small vine tomatoes such as Campari
  • ยผ cup (65 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • ยฝ – 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
  • ยฝ 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 ยพ 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 ยฝcup of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl (cover to keep warm).
  • Pour ยผ 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 spoon 2 tablespoons ricotta alongside each one. Add more sauce to taste and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Keep the sauce refrigerated up to a week, and frozen 1-2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal Carbohydrates: 73g Protein: 17g Fat: 19g Sodium: 56mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 7g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

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.

4.63 from 32 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Can you make this with beef steak/roma tomatoes?