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A cast iron pan with cherry tomato pasta sauce with pesto, serving utensils, partial view of a bread loaf and a bowl with pesto.
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Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce With Pesto

Roasted cherry tomato pasta sauce is a refreshing no-fuss dish. Savory pesto and mozzarella add richness to this delicious weeknight pasta.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Greek, Italian, Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 797kcal

Ingredients

For the pasta

  • 10 oz linguine
  • 3-4 lbs cherry tomatoes use more if you like extra sauce
  • 2 red chili peppers
  • cup extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • dried oregano
  • teaspoon sugar optional

For the pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
  • ¼ cup pine nuts Can be toasted.
  • 2 garlic clove
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

For serving

  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese balls cut in half or quartered

Instructions

Make the pesto

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth—taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Roast the tomatoes

  • Heat the oven to 425°F /220 °C.
    Add tomatoes, chili pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar (optional), and dried oregano in an oven-proof pan. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
    Roast tomatoes for 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Make the sauce

  • Take ⅔ of the cherry tomatoes and all the juices from the pan and add them to a blender.
    Squeeze out the garlic and remove the skin and most seeds from the chili peppers. Add all to the blender and pulse until smooth.
    Return smooth sauce to the pan with the reserved tomatoes and gently mix.

Serve

  • Gently mix the pasta with the sauce and some halved mozzarella balls and stir. Drizzle with some of the pesto.
  • Divide pasta among bowls and serve with more pesto for the table.

Notes

Nutritional Info – Please remember that the nutritional information provided is only estimated and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 797kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 1284mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 3068IU | Vitamin C: 140mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 5mg