Homemade Cherry Tomato Pasta That You Won't Want To Stop Making

Today we are making this roasted cherry tomato and garlic pasta with goat's cheese. It's incredibly rich and creamy, yet an absolute breeze to whip together. Let's get into it. Step one, the prep. Starting with 400 grams or 14 ounces of cherry tomatoes. I'm using vine-ripened cherry tomatoes because I find them to be incredibly sweet and juicy, but any cherry tomato will work here. Pick them off the vine and then set to the side for now. We also need two whole bulbs of garlic. This may seem like a lot, but when we slow roast it, their flavor is going to become sweet and caramelized. Slice the top off about an inch down to ensure all of the cloves are exposed. Lastly, we need three shallots that are peeled and halved. I also like to slice the root off as this isn't very pleasant to eat. In a small or medium-sized baking tray, combine the tomatoes, garlic and shallots. Season generously with salt and pepper and a healthy dose of olive oil. Bake for one hour at 130 degrees Celsius or 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Step two, bake and blend. Remove from the oven once everything has been caramelized and those cherry tomatoes are slightly blistered and jammy. A beautiful sauce will have formed at the bottom of the pan. Remove the garlic and allow to slightly cool. The sauce also needs 40 grams or two cubes of goat's cheese and some sliced fresh basil leaves to sprinkle over at the end. To get lovely long slices of basil, place all the picked leaves on top of one another, roll it up like a cigar and then slice with a sharp knife. Once the garlic has cooled, squeeze out those cloves. Place everything but the basil into a blender and blend until smooth. Step three, pasta. I'm using spaghettitini but any pasta shape will work in the sauce. You need around two thirds of the packet. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and then heavily season with salt. Once boiling, cook your pasta very al dente. I always recommend to cook it two minutes less than the suggested cook time on the packet as it will continue to cook when we toss it through the sauce. Reserve up to one cup of pasta water before draining your pasta. On a low heat in a large pan, add the pasta sauce, spaghetti and a splash of pasta water. Stir through until well combined. Grate in 30 grams of pecorino romano or parmesan and stir through with another splash of pasta water until glossy and silky. Plate up and serve with a little extra goat's cheese, a sprinkling of basil and some extra cheese. Enjoy!