Of all the recipes I have cooked over the years, this Roasted Tomato and Sausage Pasta is our favorite go-to weekday recipe. We probably make this dish two times per month (which is a lot with all the other meals I make). The kids ask for it every week. The reason I love it is because it’s pretty easy, made in 30 minutes, my kids actually eat the tomatoes (so it’s healthy), it tastes so dang good, and it makes a few leftovers for school!
The reasons above are probably why this recipe has had over 5 million views in the past few years. Now, as always with social media, everyone likes to nitpick and give their two cents on why this recipe is terrible, question why I did things a certain way, or tell me ways to make it better. I have added slight tweaks over the years, but we love it and I hope you all do too!
So many of you have shared that this meal has made it into your rotation, and that makes me very happy. If you haven’t tried this one yet, let’s walk through a few of the key ingredients and cooking tips to help you crush this meal and be the dinner time hero:
- Protein – Do you need to add it? Absolutely not! This dish has enough flavor without it, so feel confident making this without. If you do want to add protein, I highly recommend using sausage, but others have tried chicken and say it is great as well. We use a spicy breakfast sausage because my kiddos prefer that over Italian sausage (and at this point, I do as well!). If you try something new, let me know because I always love trying new things.
- Roasted Tomatoes – This process is very simple overall. Halve your tomatoes, add some garlic, seasonings, oil, and balsamic. Give them a toss all on the baking sheet so you don’t lose any ingredients, and spread them out. The only thing you really need to watch out for is over-roasting them. If they dry out, there won’t be as much flavor in the sauce. Look for blistering, not burning.
- The Sauce – Many comments I field from the video (before they make it) are that it needs more sauce. This is not meant to be a red sauce or a white sauce; it is an oil/butter-based sauce. This means it will appear clearer. Pro Tip: Make sure to save some pasta water to add as needed once you have reached the final step. This will help thicken the sauce and make it taste a little creamier!
- Toppings – Don’t forget to add on the freshly shredded parmesan and the freshly chopped basil. Don’t skip on Kraft parmesan and dried basil. The meal won’t be bad if you do, but it definitely levels up a notch with the fresh ingredients.
- Sides – For us, it’s always a salad. Since my kids love this meal and ask for it all the time, I tell them I won’t add any more veggies into the pasta, but they have to eat a mini salad. My goodness, it has worked wonders!
See below for full measurements and cooking instructions!
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- High-rimmed pan
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles
- 3/4 lb spicy sausage
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Shredded Parmesan
- 5 basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Wash and dry your cherry tomatoes, and then slice them in half.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the cherry tomatoes and garlic
- Drizzle on 1 Tbsp. oil and 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, then season well with salt and pepper.
- Give everything a quick toss and then spread evenly in a single layer.
- Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes.
- In the meantime, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
- In a high-rimmed pan, cook the sausage if you are adding it (you can also add other protein), and then remove.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. oil, and add the red pepper flakes
- When the tomatoes are done, add the melted butter, and add back in the cooked protein.
- Toss in the noodles, until well coated (add a little pasta water if needed!)
- Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.
- Enjoy
