Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata

This Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata is a tangy, herby pasta dish coated in garlicky goodness! A fuss-free meal that’s Vegan & Gluten-Free.

This Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata is an Italian-inspired dish that is SUPER easy to make but looks + tastes like it’s fresh out of your local hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant (the best kind) that’s been run by the same family for years. Italian pasta goals = achieved. This simple, yet delicious combination of pasta, roasted tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and lemon zest receives the chef’s kiss any day or night of the week!

INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION

This delicious pasta dish is getting topped with a classic Italian condiment—gremolata. Never heard of gremolata? Don’t worry—you’re not alone 😉 This classic Italian “green sauce” is traditionally made from chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. We’re going to give ours a little twist today and use basil instead of parsley! The herby basil, tangy lemon, and spicy garlic is a combination that’s absolutely perfect for topping creamy pasta.

Plus, we’re roasting some sweet cherry tomatoes for even more flavor. We’ll make our super easy pasta “sauce” by simply combining extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and a bit of pasta water (trust me, it really helps the tomato flavors sing!). The roasted tomatoes will almost melt into the sauce once combined, so it becomes a marriage of delicious textures and flavors! Oven-roasting the tomatoes takes things to the next level—it really deepens their flavor, plus it gets rid of extra moisture, preventing the pasta from getting “soggy.”

HOW TO MAKE ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO PASTA WITH BASIL GREMOLATA

While the ”gremolata”  makes this recipe sound complicated and time-consuming, this pasta dish is actually SO easy to make and the perfect way to enjoy summertime produce! AND it comes together in under an hour 🙂

1. Preheat the oven and toss the cherry tomatoes with oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasonings, then roast. 
2. Add the pasta to a pot of boiling salted water, and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
3. Sauté the garlic in oil until brown, then stir in the pasta water. Once simmering, add the pasta and roasted tomatoes and mix. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
4. Form the gremolata by tossing the basil, lemon zest, garlic, and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Divide the pasta into serving bowls, top with gremolata, and enjoy!

This Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata is a quick and hearty meal on its own, but it would also be SO delicious with a simple side salad like this one, or a crisp slice of buttery garlic bread! You could also toss some leafy greens into this dish — spinach, arugula, or even kale would make a great addition!

Pasta is always best served fresh when the noodles are perfectly chewy and the sauce has juuust the right amount of thickness. But of course, feel free to leave any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you reheat the sauce you can add more liquid to achieve your desired consistency. To revive the fresh flavors of the basil, you can also sprinkle on a bit more freshly chopped basil to your leftovers 🙂 

If you’re looking for more Italian-inspired pasta recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan One-Pot Pasta Primavera, this Instant Pot Penne Puttanesca, and this Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Garlicky Mushrooms!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

This Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Basil Gremolata is a tangy, herby pasta dish coated in garlicky goodness! A fuss-free meal that’s Vegan & Gluten-Free.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 40 Minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2 to 4 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: Stovetop, Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Roasted Tomatoes:

• 2 dry pints cherry tomatoes*, cut in half (21 oz/595 g)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Pasta:

• 8 ounces (225 g) dry pasta (I used linguine)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

For the Basil Gremolata:

• 1 cup (17 g) loosely packed basil
• Zest of 1 small lemon (1/2–1 teaspoon)
• 1 small clove of garlic, finely grated
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Roast the Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 400F. Add the sliced tomatoes to the baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top; give them a good toss, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Roast on the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions. Save 1 cup (235 ml) of the pasta water before draining and setting aside. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it.
3. Make the Sauce: warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until it starts to turn golden. Then add in 1/2 cup (118 ml) of the pasta water and stir. Once the mixture begins to simmer, add in the pasta and the roasted tomatoes. Mix until everything is evenly tossed; if the sauce is too thick for your liking, add in additional pasta water to taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
4. Gremolata + Serve: Toss the basil with the lemon zest, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to quickly form the gremolata. Divide the pasta into serving bowls, then top with gremolata and serve warm. This dish is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

• Tomatoes: you can also use grape tomatoes for this recipe, or cut up larger tomatoes into bite-sized pieces!

Keywords: roasted tomato pasta, vegan tomato pasta, vegan roasted tomato pasta, basil gremolata, summer tomato recipes, vegan pasta recipes