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creamy roasted tomato pasta in a bowl with fresh basil and roasted garlic on a rustic table.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta

A rich and flavorful pasta dish featuring roasted cherry tomatoes, garlic, and cream cheese for a smooth, creamy sauce.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • Cherry Tomatoes a large amount, halved
  • 1 whole head Garlic halved horizontally
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Cream Cheese or a similar creamy spreadable cheese
  • Fresh Basil
  • Pasta your choice, such as spaghetti

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven.
  2. Spread the halved cherry tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Place the halved head of garlic in the center of the baking sheet with the cut side facing up.
  4. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are softened and caramelized and the garlic is tender.
  6. Once roasted, remove the garlic from the head by squeezing it into a mixing bowl.
  7. Add the roasted tomatoes (along with all the juices from the pan) to the bowl.
  8. Add the cream cheese and fresh basil leaves.
  9. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
  10. Pour the blended sauce into a pan and warm it slightly over the stove.
  11. Add your cooked pasta directly to the sauce and toss until well combined.

Notes

Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness by concentrating their sugars. When you roast tomatoes and garlic, the process breaks down the cell walls, releasing juices that create a naturally rich base for sauces without needing lots of heavy cream. The browning you see on the tomatoes and garlic in the video is largely due to the Maillard reaction, which occurs when amino acids and reducing sugars in the food rearrange to form new flavor compounds.