Roasted Tomato & Mascarpone Pasta

This is one of my daughter’s most-requested dinners, and thankfully, it’s also one of the simplest. Sweet roasted tomatoes, garlic, lemon, and mascarpone come together to make a creamy sauce that is so, so good.

I especially love using a big, chunky pasta with ridges—penne rigate or mezzi rigatoni are perfect—because the sauce really clings to every noodle. I usually serve this with my Perfect Roasted Chicken, but it’s so satisfying on its own too.

Serves 6 | Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, about 12 ounces

• 2 garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pound chunky, ridged pasta, such as penne rigate or mezzi rigatoni

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened

• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

• ½ cup chopped fresh basil

• ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts, optional but I love them in this

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Toss until everything is evenly coated.

3. Roast for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft, juicy, and beginning to caramelize.

4. While the tomatoes roast, cook the pasta in generously salted water according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

5. Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Use a fork or potato masher to gently crush the tomatoes and roasted garlic directly in the baking dish.

6. Add the softened mascarpone and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir until the mascarpone melts into the tomatoes and creates a creamy sauce.

7. Add the drained pasta, Parmesan, and basil. Toss until the pasta is evenly coated, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

8. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Finish with toasted pine nuts, additional Parmesan, and fresh basil. Yum.

• Choose a pasta with ridges. Penne rigate and mezzi rigatoni are my favorites because all those little ridges hold onto the creamy tomato sauce.

• Soften the mascarpone. Let it sit at room temperature while the tomatoes roast so it melts easily into the sauce.

• Save your pasta water. The starch helps the mascarpone and roasted tomato juices come together. I always reserve more than I think I’ll need.

• Make it a full meal. I love serving this pasta with my [Perfect Roasted Chicken], but it’s delicious and filling all on its own.

• Toast the pine nuts. It only takes a few minutes and gives the finished pasta a little crunch.

• For leftovers: Add a splash of water before reheating to loosen the sauce.

• De Cecco Penne Rigate or Mezzi Rigatoni

• Deep porcelain 9-by-13-inch baking dish - I love this beautiful one by Dowan

• Microplane for zesting the lemon and grating the Parmesan

• Maldon salt for finishing - this stuff really does make a difference.

xo,

Chelsea

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