Roasted Tomato Pasta

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This rustic 5-ingredient roasted tomato pasta features sweet, slow roasted tomatoes and garlic tossed with your favorite pasta for a simple, low maintenance dinner.

We love our pasta in this house, but while I like to keep it interesting when I’m alone, with a quick cherry tomato pasta, or Greek spaghetti, my kids prefer a more basic tomato sauce. So I’m always looking for new ways to give them what they want without it becoming too boring for the rest of us. This roasted tomato pasta fits the bill, and with tomatoes at their peak right now, I thought it was the perfect time to make it.

I love using fresh, in-season produce in our meals, and tomatoes are so versatile. The beauty of this dish is in its rustic simplicity—roasting the tomatoes brings out a rich sweetness, and it’s so satisfying knowing the ingredients are fresh.

This easy roasted tomato pasta is a great way to showcase the flavor of fresh, in-season tomatoes. But since Roma tomatoes are available, and really quite decent year-round, you can absolutely make this one anytime.

This pasta dish is simple enough to throw together after a long day, and it doesn’t require much prep. That’s one of the reasons I love it—minimal effort, maximum flavor. Plus, it’s kid-approved!

If you don’t have time to roast and/or are in the mood for a creamy sauce that still makes the most of fresh tomatoes, try this 15-minute tomato alfredo pasta!

Why Roasting Makes a Difference

If you’ve never roasted tomatoes before, you’re in for a treat. Roasting brings out such a deep, caramelized sweetness in the tomatoes, and it’s a game changer for simple pasta sauces like this one.

But it’s not just the tomatoes—roasting the onions and garlic alongside them really takes the flavor up a notch. The onions become tender and sweet, adding this lovely depth to the sauce, while the garlic gets soft and almost creamy, releasing a subtle, rich flavor that infuses everything.

What I love most is how easy this is! You just toss everything into a baking dish, throw it in the oven, and let the heat do its magic.

Ingredient Notes

Roma Tomatoes

For this roasted tomato pasta recipe, I use Roma tomatoes – also known as plum tomatoes. They’re great because they have a lower water content, which means they get beautifully concentrated when roasted. Once they’ve had their time in the oven, they’re so soft that they practically melt into the pasta, creating a delicious, rustic sauce.

If you don’t have Roma tomatoes, you can use field tomatoes, tomatoes on the vine, or heirloom tomatoes. You can also use plum tomatoes but I recommend making this tomato alfredo sauce pasta instead if you have plum tomatoes!

Garlic

The garlic cloves adds rich, mellow flavor to the tomato sauce as they roast. Smashing the cloves (rather than chopping or mincing) allows them to release their flavor slowly and evenly, so you get a mellow garlic taste that doesn’t overpower the dish.

Yellow Onion

Sliced yellow onion adds sweetness and depth to the sauce. Roasting the onions helps caramelize them, which makes them sweeter. Just be sure to remove any pieces that get too charred during roasting, as they can turn bitter.

Olive Oil

Good-quality olive oil is key here, as it’s one of the main flavor components of the sauce. It helps the tomatoes roast up beautifully and gives the dish a nice, rich flavor.

Salt and Black Pepper

I like to keep the seasonings super simple in this roasted tomato pasta – just kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Feel free to add other seasonings, like basil or oregano, as desired.

This sauce is also nice with a handful of chopped fresh basil stirred in after roasting!

Pasta

This is a chunky sauce that goes well with short pasta shapes especially, like ziti, penne, rigatoni, etc. It also goes nicely with a thicker long noodle like fettucine. Use your favorite!

Use a gluten-free pasta if you’re looking to make this gluten-free!

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

1. Cut your tomatoes in halves lengthwise and cut out any tough bits from ends. Smash the garlic cloves.

1. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, place the halved Roma tomatoes, smashed garlic cloves, sliced onion, salt, and pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the top and toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly coated.

1. Put the baking dish into the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are very soft and have a slight char on them.

1. Toward the end of the roasting time, boil a large pot of water with salt. Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package.

1. When the tomatoes are finished roasting, remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully pick out any onion slices that are overly blackened, as they can add bitterness to the sauce. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mash the roasted tomato halves and garlic cloves to create a chunky sauce. For a smoother consistency, you can process the mixture in a blender or food processor, or give it a quick blend using an immersion blender.

1. Add the cooked pasta to the baking dish and toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.

1. Serve with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and, if you like, a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil leaves for extra flavor.

Recipe Tips

• For the best flavor, make sure your Roma tomatoes are ripe but still firm. The roasting process will concentrate their sweetness, so starting with good-quality tomatoes makes all the difference!
• Make sure the tomato halves are roughly the same size so they roast evenly. This prevents some from getting too charred while others are undercooked.
• Spread the tomatoes, garlic, and onions out in a single layer in your baking dish. Overcrowding can cause the ingredients to steam instead of roast, which will make for a less flavorful, concentrated sauce. If you’re doubling this recipe, use two baking dishes, or roast the tomatoes on a large baking sheet.
• Let the tomatoes, onions, and garlic roast for the full hour or until they are soft and lightly charred. This slow roasting develops the deep, rich flavors we want in this roasted tomato pasta.

Recipe Variations

Add fresh herbs: Toss in a few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary before roasting for extra depth of flavor in the roasted tomato pasta. OR toss in a handful of chopped basil along with the Parmesan.

Add a protein: For a heartier meal, toss in some grilled chicken, shrimp, or sausage. This adds a nice balance of flavors and turns the pasta into a complete, filling meal.

Spicy kick: If you like a bit of heat, sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes over the tomatoes before roasting, or stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper after making the sauce.

Cheese options: While Parmesan is a classic, feel free to experiment with other cheeses like Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, feta, or even a soft goat cheese for added creaminess.

Veggie boost: Add roasted vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers to the dish for a colorful, veggie-packed roasted tomato pasta, similar to this roasted vegetable tortellini casserole. Simply roast them alongside the tomatoes or in a separate pan.

Give it a Mediterranean twist: You can add olives and capers to the pasta towards the end for a nice and tangy twist. The brininess of the olives and capers adds a delicious contrast to the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes.

Storage Instructions

This roasted tomato pasta will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this one.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

Halloumi Pasta

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Pasta

Asparagus Mushroom Pasta

Cajun Sausage Pasta