Summer Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This is by far and away my favorite summer dish ever. I wait and wait until our homegrown cherry tomatoes are ripe enough to make this pasta for dinner.

It has the perfect combination of pasta, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella (I love all of those ingredients when they are separate, so together it is like heaven!). Since I usually stir clear of pasta (it has the same effect on me that cupcakes do aka I can’t stop eating even after my stomach says “no more please”), this pasta is a serious treat for me.

We like to serve it with a salad, so you feel SEMI healthy eating it

Oh and yes that is avocado you spot on the salad. We couldn’t help it…

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved (homegrown is best)
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs (use the Cusinart)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound penne, fusilli or farfallini pasta
• Chopped fresh basil (to your taste, we use about a half cup)
• Fresh buffalo mozzarella (to your taste, we use about a half cup), cubed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomato halves in a large baking dish (a glass pyrex works well).
2. Spoon 3 tablespoons of olive oil over your tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes, remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
4. Sprinkle mixture over roasted tomatoes and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
5. In a large bowl of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain well.
6. Add tomato mixture to the drained pasta. Add the basil and cubed mozzarella and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!