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Easy Cherry Tomato Confit Pasta: Best 20-Minute Dinner

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This easy cherry tomato confit pasta transforms simple ingredients into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti perfectly. It looks fancy, tastes incredible, and takes almost no real effort—perfect for last-minute dinners or impressing guests.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pint (about 450g) cherry tomatoes
  • 6–8 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
  • ½ cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces (225g) dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or bucatini)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt for pasta water, plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Fresh basil, a handful for garnish (optional)
  • Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat to start boiling.
  2. Rinse the cherry tomatoes and pat them dry. Peel 6-8 garlic cloves by smashing them gently with the flat side of a knife. Leave the cloves whole.
  3. Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves in a small baking dish (8×8 or 9×9 inch) in a single layer.
  4. Drizzle ½ cup of olive oil over the tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes if using.
  5. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes are wrinkled and slightly collapsed, and the garlic is soft enough to squish with a fork.
  6. While the tomatoes roast, cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add a generous tablespoon of salt, then add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  7. Drain the pasta and add it directly to the baking dish with the tomatoes and oil. Use tongs to toss everything together, breaking the tomatoes slightly. If dry, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
  8. Taste and add more salt if needed. Squish a few garlic cloves with a fork and mix them in. Tear fresh basil over the top and grate Parmesan if using. Serve immediately.

Notes

Don’t overcrowd the dish; tomatoes should fit in a single layer. Use good-quality olive oil. Reserve pasta water to emulsify the sauce. For best results, serve immediately. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water.

Nutrition

Keywords: cherry tomato confit pasta, easy pasta recipe, 20-minute dinner, quick pasta, tomato confit, weeknight dinner, vegetarian pasta

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