Sweet Roasted Tomato Pasta

I've recently been inspired to try my hand at making fresh sauces for my pastas and pizzas. This idea originated from a lack of ingredients in the cupboard, but is happily becoming a habit.

My lastest pasta dish featured freshly roasted cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness. Roasting tomatoes is an easy process and a fantastic way to unleash their fabulous flavor.

Goat cheese brought a touch of tanginess to the dish, while garlic and basil tied the flavors together. Unique, yet familiar.

Sweet Roasted Tomato Pasta

4 T. olive oil

16 oz. cherry tomatoes, rinsed

salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 t. dried basil (or 1 T. freshly minced basil)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 lb. pasta (I used a fancy pasta given to us as a gift, but you can use any)

2-4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle 2 T. of olive oil onto a baking sheet. Scatter tomatoes over the sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper Place in oven for about 20 minutes, or until tomatoes burst. (Some will char a bit.) About 10 minutes into baking, add garlic to unleash its flavor.

Pour into a bowl along with the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (The tomatoes will absorb some of the oil which is fine.) Add basil, salt and pepper, and mix well.

Cook pasta until al dente. Mix into sauce. Plate pasta and sprinkle with a generous helping of goat cheese.

I served the pasta alongside a Trader Joe's Sundried Tomato Chicken sausage. We ended up cutting them up and adding them to the pasta.