October 9, 2025
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil Pesto Rigatoni & Parmesan Pangrattato
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Basil Pesto Rigatoni & Parmesan Pangrattato
A sunshine-filled pasta dish bursting with flavour. Sweet, jammy slow-roasted cherry tomatoes meet fresh basil pesto and bronze-die rigatoni for a rich, vibrant bite. Finished with a golden Parmesan pangrattato for crunch, it’s simple, rustic, and full of Mediterranean warmth — the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, and aromatic.
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Ingredients
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes halved
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for storing
Basil Pesto Rigatoni with Parmesan Pangrattato
- 400 g bronze-die rigatoni
- 4 tbsp basil pesto fresh or homemade
- A few slow-roasted cherry tomatoes
- Sea salt & black pepper
Pangrattato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 100°C (fan 90°C) and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Arrange the cherry tomatoes, cut-side up, on the tray. Scatter with thyme leaves and sea salt.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
- Roast slowly for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the tomatoes look slightly shrivelled, glossy, and jammy but still hold their shape.
- Cool completely, then pack into a clean glass jar and top up with olive oil to cover.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week.
- These are perfect stirred through pasta, folded into grain salads, or spooned over grilled chicken or fish.
Basil Pesto Rigatoni with Parmesan Pangrattato
- Cook the rigatoni in salted boiling water until al dente.
- In a large bowl, toss the hot pasta with pesto and a few spoonfuls of the roasted tomatoes (plus a drizzle of their infused oil).
- To make the pangrattato: melt the butter and olive oil together in a small pan until foaming. Add the garlic and breadcrumbs. Cook over medium heat until golden and crisp. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan.
- Spoon the pasta into bowls, top with extra roasted tomatoes, and finish with a generous sprinkle of pangrattato.
Notes
The low, slow roast is what concentrates the tomato flavour — think sweet, savoury, and just a little chewy.
Always store them fully submerged in oil for freshness.
The pangrattato gives texture — buttery, garlicky, and nutty from the Parmesan.
A few fresh basil leaves or a crack of black pepper right before serving finishes it perfectly.
Always store them fully submerged in oil for freshness.
The pangrattato gives texture — buttery, garlicky, and nutty from the Parmesan.
A few fresh basil leaves or a crack of black pepper right before serving finishes it perfectly.