Spaghettini with Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, and Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs
Quick, easy, and flavorful spaghettini tossed with roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and topped with crazy delicious toasted garlic breadcrumbs!
Recently I was asked to do a fun interview with my friends over at The National Pasta Association (I mean, really, how could I possibly resist?) all about my love for food, my favorite summer ingredients, and what I love most about blogging.
You can read the entire interview here, but as I sat at my kitchen counter, cursor blinking on the laptop in front of me, it got me thinking. Why haven’t I shared any pasta dishes this summer?
Ones that are easy, require little time at the stove and minimal ingredients, and are my go-to recipes when I’m looking for a fast, delicious, and satisfying meal that works for all occasions.
This spaghettini with roasted tomatoes, basil, and toasted breadcrumbs is my answer to that question. I could probably eat it everyday. Scratch that. I could definitely eat it everyday.
The colors, the simplicity, the fresh flavors, everything! Comforting and seasonal. My kind of meal.
I can’t decide what I love more about this pasta. The roasted tomatoes (just burst and caramelized), the fresh basil (basil is basil and nothing comes close to comparison in my mind), or the crispy garlic breadcrumbs!
Can we talk about the toasted breadcrumbs for a second?
I’m tempted to say that you should just plan on making twice the amount of breadcrumbs than the recipe calls for, because it will be extremely difficult to share that stuff.
Oh my gosh, the breadcrumbs.
Does it sound redundant to top pasta with breadcrumbs? It’s kind of like putting bread on top of bread, I know. But, but! Once you do, your pasta game will never be the same ever again. Allow me to be dramatic for a second: it’s kind of life-altering.
They aren’t just any toasted breadcrumbs.
They are actually panko breadcrumbs flavored with fresh garlic and sautéed finely chopped shallot! You can make them in under 5 minutes in a skillet on your stove, so don’t skip this step.
Also, try not to eat them out of the bowl, because you are going to want every last crumb of them for your pasta serving.
And the tomatoes? I use a variety of small multi-colored tomatoes (you could use larger cherry tomatoes, if you can’t find something similar) that are readily available at most grocery stores.
Just drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and add a few smashed garlic cloves, and roast for about 20 minutes in the oven until they begin to collapse and burst.
It really is that simple.
This dish can be thrown together in less than 45 minutes (30 minutes, if you’re quick!) and is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but sophisticated and impressive enough to serve on a special occasion!
My new favorite go-to summer pasta!
Spaghettini with Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, and Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes:
- 2½ lbs small heirloom tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 large cloves of garlic smashed
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot finely chopped
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Pasta:
- ¾ lb (12 oz) dried spaghettini pasta otherwise known as ‘thin spaghetti
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces fresh basil leaves sliced into ribbons, plus more for garnishing
- grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for serving
Instructions
- Roast Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). If your oven runs hot, I recommend reducing the temperature by 25°F or so, or reducing the cook time and watching the tomatoes carefully.
- Bring a large pot (8 quarts or larger) of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Place the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves on a half sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with kosher salt and pepper. Spread them out evenly. Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them every 5 to 10 minutes or so, until they are soft and have just begun to collapse. Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
- Prepare Garlic Breadcrumb Topping: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened and become translucent. Add the panko breadcrumbs and chopped garlic. Reduce the heat to low and toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning - or until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
- Cook the Pasta: While the tomatoes finish roasting (and the breadcrumbs are prepared), boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta back into the pot and drizzle with a glug of olive oil, and gently toss to coat. Add the warm, roasted tomato and garlic mixture as well as the basil ribbons, and toss gently until combined. Add reserved pasta water as needed to help loosen the pasta until the sauce coats the noodles evenly.
- Garnish each pasta serving with basil, torn or sliced into thin ribbons, and a generous sprinkling of toasted garlic breadcrumbs. Serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
79 Comments on “Spaghettini with Roasted Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, and Toasted Garlic Breadcrumbs”
Can you make the sauce in advance (day before) and just heat it up?
Definitely but I do think you’d need to add pasta water to thin it slightly (leave basil for day of) and it’s not really intended to be prepped ahead?
Recipe was delicious! I would recommend adding a little bit of butter at the end instead of adding extra pasta water it really helps bring the flavors out.
absolutely delicious. Light and flavorful on a hot summer day. I am already thinking of ways to use those breadcrumbs!
Delicious! I thought I would skip the breadcrumbs, but I’m glad so didn’t. Worth the extra effort. I didn’t have panko, used regular plain Italian breadcrumbs.also used a little extra olive oil on the roasted tomatoes.
I do not recall how I found this recipe, I think I googled “roasted tomato pasta” or something to that effect, but I am so glad I did because it was SO good and so easy! The breadcrumbs were amazing. Will definitely be making this again very soon!
This recipe is easy to make yet sooo delicious! Loved the roasted garlic is next level! i tossed in some pork sausage and it was amazing. Thank you!
This was a topper! As an Italian I loved it ??
I agree with the other commenter about the temperature of the oven being too high. 450 is high enough for olive oil to get smoky. Recommend 400 for the tomatoes. The rest of the recipe was great!
I roast at 450F all the time, but it can really come down to your oven. Definitely reduce the temperature if you have issues at high temps and if things are moving too quickly! Glad you enjoyed the dish though!
Made this for dinner tonight! I followed the recipe exactly and it is DELICIOUS! Thank you so much for sharing❤ My family loved it!
This stuff is amazing! I did add roasted zucchini and squash also. The bread crumbs are like candy, I could eat this everyday.
Laura,
Just found your site and this recipe! I am making it this week up at the cabin. Question, when smashing the garlic are you leaving skins on and roasting? Also, can You make the breadcrumbs ahead and store in an airtight container ? Thanks!
Hi Katie!! Great question. The garlic cloves are peeled when they’re roasted with the tomatoes. You *can* prepare the breadcrumb mixture ahead of time, but it is best when it’s crispy – so if you do wish to do this, I would store them in a container in the fridge and warm/crisp them up in a dry skillet just before serving. Hope this helps!
Ahhhhh, such lovely, fresh flavours that all come together in this simple dish! I could have spooned up the roasted garlicky, tomatoey, olive oil-eey juice all on its own, straight from the oven! Pass me some crostini please and I would have called it dinner right there! Love, love, loved it! Not gonna lie, the oven cleaning gawds were cursing me when the juice started coming out of the tomatoes, into the olive oil onto the sheet pan…….a mighty bit of splattering and smoke did happen! LOL I just backed off the temperature of my oven and let it work it’s Magic! This was a fabulously, delicious
summer time recipe, especially if you have fresh tomatoes and basil! Thanks for your inspiration! ????
I made this for dinner this evening and is absolutely wonderful the breadcrumbs are to die for I made extra and as I was eating my dinner I was wondering what I was going to use them for tomorrow evening I will roast some broccoli with garlic and olive oil and sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the broccoli sounds wonderfulI’m sure I’ll come up with more uses for those bread crumbs and this pasta will definitely be on my go-to list when I’m looking for something terrific for dinner
This recipe was perfect. I made it tonight with grape tomatoes and basil from my garden. It was just what I was looking for. My family loved it! The breadcrumbs on top were the best. I used some day old crusty bread instead of the panko and it was delish. I will be making this again!
So thrilled to hear that Joyce! Thank you!
The cooking times on this recipe was way off. My tomatoes were burnt in 20 minutes at 450. The breadcrumb topping was a nice twist on this typical kind of recipe.
Hi Sarah. Thanks for your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that. Cook times in any recipe are always going to vary from person to person, especially for roasting as everyone’s ovens tend to vary (I use an oven thermometer to make sure that my oven is calibrated properly) and ingredients vary. I do have feeling you were either using much smaller tomatoes (I did specify in the recipe that they need to be larger – and/or small heirloom size) or your oven is not calibrated properly and runs hot. This recipe was tested many times, and I’ve never received that feedback from anyone else that has made it.
Hi Laura! This looks really amazing…just wondering…do you think it will be as good as a room temp addition to a buffet, maybe using a gemelli type pasta instead? Thanks!
avez vous la recette en français
Unfortunately no! I can’t translate this for you – my best advice would be to use a browser translator, but I can’t guarantee it would do it properly.
Absolutely delicious!! Plus quick and easy
omg I made this and it’s amazing!!! You have me converted on the roasted breadcrumbs!!!
My husband is Italian, and a professional chef.
I showed him the recipe and He loved the garlick panko crubss
(He often uses panko crumbs but had never thought of garlic, shallots & roasting.)
But he warned me that if we roast cherry tomatoes, the skin of the tomatoes will become very
tough.
Any suggestions as to how to avoid this?
Also, I’m inclined to add very small chunks of room-termperature mozzarella to the recipe
Would this work?
I used to make, I mean I still do, a pasta similar to your recipe, but I never in my life I thought about toping with toasted panko, genius!
I just had dinner, I been eating very light in the past month but I would eat that pasta right now, it looks so good.
I am obsessed with these particular panko breadcrumbs! You can put them on any pasta (even if its not this particular one). Hope you like it! Thanks Alecio!
I adore this recipe! We make it on a pretty regular basis. Instead of using fresh basil and olive oil, I toss some pesto in the noodles. I make my own pesto during the summer and keep it in the freezer all year. I’ll admit, I was highly skeptical of the bread crumb situation. But oh man is it good!
Haha! I love this, and am so happy to hear that. I’ve done a similar thing with pesto too, and love that variation as well. I totally get the skepticism about breadcrumbs on top of pasta – but I love these particular ones (I also sprinkle them on roasted portobello mushrooms) and LOVED the little bit of extra oomph it gives to this recipe. So glad you liked them too! ?
Delicious! I made homemade pasta today so I was looking for an easy sauce to pair with. Your recipe was perfect and hit the spot. My husband is not a fan of raw tomatoes but now he’s realized he loves them roasted! Thanks for sharing!
I made this recipe as is except used spaghetti squash instead of pasta. Absolutely wonderful.!!
Have made it a few times . The panko bread crumb topping is a definite plus. Great recipe.!!!!
Can’t wait to do this! Just ordered the panko crumbs online!
Yay! Hope you love it!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it. Question–I was expecting to add the basil raw at the very end, not to cook it for a minute in the pasta water. What effect does boiling it have?
What do you do with the garlic that’s roasting with tomatoes? Can’t wait to try
This is SO good! I make it at least once a week!
Yay! So glad to hear that!
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Wow! it looks so delicious and yummy. Today, my friends are coming and I am going to cook this recipe for them.
Wow, Laura! Your given pasta recipe looks so yummy and delicious. Also all the photos of pasta recipes are looking so nice and beautiful. I love cherry tomatoes of any color in this dish just to pop. Carry on Laura.
This looks so good – I can’t wait to try it!
This looks beautiful and I can’t wait to make it this week! When you say 3/4 dried spaghetti pasta in the ingredients, is that 3/4 of the box?
Yikes!!! Thank you for catching that typo. I updated the recipe! It should read 3/4 LB pasta (so 3/4 of a normal-sized box of pasta). If you increase the pasta to a pound, I recommend increase the tomato amount a bit (maybe another 1/2 lb or so!). Hope this helps! Please let me know if you like it! (And don’t forget to make the breadcrumbs!)
So I made this last night and it came out great. I think I would change the proportions slightly for my taste, but it was easier than it sounded and everything came out at the right time and looked and tasted great. Used capellini because my store did not have spaghettini in the brand I like. Posted a picture of it here on Instagram. https://instagram.com/p/6GZo4LKiAZ/?taken-by=lakeerieartists
Okay, got the ingredients. Trying this tonight. 🙂
this looks amazing! Love your site!
Thank you so much Alison!
Really silly question but in step 1. why do we boil the water- do we rinse the tomatoes in this boiling water before roasting? Cant wait to make it, thanks!
Hi Jez! No silly questions! The pot of boiled water is to cook the pasta (you want to bring it a boil early, so that the entire recipe can come together as the tomatoes finish roasting in the oven), not for the tomatoes! I edited that sentence to reflect that, sorry if that was confusing in any way! Let me know if you try it and be sure to let me know your thoughts. Hope you love it! 🙂
Looks delicious! I have been in the mood for pasta lately, this week I posted a pasta carbonara recipe on my blog.
Those tomatoes are so colorful and beautiful! And you’ve used them so wonderfully in this pasta 🙂
This looks insane, Laura! Pasta dishes like this are definitely one of my fav meals to make in the summer because they come together so quickly. But I’ve never tried adding delicious, crunchy, garlicky breadcrumbs! That’s totes gonna happen. I’m heading to DC this weekend for the first time ever! Wish you were still there, but do you have any recommendations for breakfast, snacks, treats, or booze near Dupont Circle? We’re staying at the Helix.
These pictures are just stunning! This dish looks incredible – so simple but so flavourful!
Thanks so much Sophie!
Oh my GOD. The shots of this spaghetti are seriously incredible. Totally drooling over this dish right now!
THANK YOU!!! So, so much.
This just looks beyond incredible! YUM! 🙂
Thanks Tieghan! :
But no judgment if I end up straight up eating the entire first batch of breadcrumbs, right? Because that is definitely inevitable.
Yeah, that’s totally allowed!!! 🙂
This is the stuff my dreams are made of… My tomatoes are a bit late this year, but pretty soon I’m so going to be having this like every night!
Oh yeah!!!! That’s so exciting! Wish I could grow some!
OMG this could not look more delicious! I just want to stick my fork in right now 🙂 Absolutely beautiful photos!
Thanks so much Liz! Glad you like it!
Thank you so much Liz!
So a little tip is to line pan with foil so you don’t end up with the mess I did. Make sure pan is large or rimmed as it spattered in my oven.
I always prefer spaghettini over spaghetti because then you can get more noodles on your fork! Love the photos, especially the pasta swirls in the first one!
Me too! Haha! I also like that it’s similar to capellini in that way but not as thin (doesn’t lend itself to overlooking itself).
This is gorgeous! I love cherry tomatoes of any color and the colors in this dish just pop so beautifully!
Thanks Averie!!! 🙂
What a beautiful pasta! Plus your photos are gorgeous! Awesome job!
Thank you so much Shelby!! Really appreciate the kind words!
This is so beautiful I could cry! I love everything in this simple pasta and I adore garlicy breadcrumbs! Pinned and going on the menu this week.
I absolutely LOVE your enthusiasm for this pasta. You’re my kind of gal! 🙂
Thanks so much for commenting Julia! Definitely let me know how you like it if you make it!
HELLO summer pasta!! So delicious!
What a gorgeous dish, Laura! 🙂
Thank you Mirakol! And thanks for commenting!!