Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spicy Confit Tomato and Chilli Spaghetti
This Cherry Tomato Pasta made with Spicy Confit Tomato and Chilli is deceptively simple yet bursts with irresistible flavour. The secret lies in slow cooking the tomatoes – confit style- that results in a soft, juicy and deliciously jammy consistency with an intense tomato flavour.
This dish captures the essence of summer, reminiscent of long, lazy days and mild summer nights. It’s a simple dish, but one that’s made for sharing. So gather your friends together and enjoy it served al fresco, with fresh bread like this Cheddar and Courgette Soda Bread, and easy conversation.
And if you’re looking for a more substantial meal you can always include this crispy, crunchy Broccoli & Crispy Grain Salad or this Watermelon & Tomato Salad as a side.
Small, Sweet & Packs a Punch
Tomatoes are such a versatile ingredient, often forming the foundation of entire cuisines – and in this cherry tomato pasta dish, they’re the main attraction. Of course, cherry tomatoes are smaller and sweeter than conventional tomatoes. They not only taste wonderful, but are packed with antioxidants including vitamin A. They’re high in vitamin C and contain more flavonols than their bigger counterparts. And, they’re also a great source of vitamin E, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and lycopene.
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant and it is better absorbed by our bodies when heated and combined with healthy fats like olive oil.
The Cherry on Top
Choose cherry tomatoes that are firm and smooth skinned. The plain red ones are great for this recipe, but if you’d like to add more visual interest to your dish, you can also use a mix of green, yellow, orange, red and heirloom varieties.
Mediterranean Inspiration
Italian cuisine is undoubtedly one of the absolute joys of life. Light, fresh, and tasty, it’s a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, deservedly synonymous with health and longevity. And of course, experiencing the sights, sounds and flavours of the Mediterranean, whether in Sicily, Sardinia, or Sorrento, truly is a balm for the soul. Add that to your bucket list – but if you can’t make it there just yet, you can certainly incorporate some Italian inspiration and ingredients into your cucina.
This dish features Italian inspired ingredients like Parmesan, with its classic sharpness that contrasts beautifully with the sweet gooey cherry tomatoes. The dish is finished with a generous blob of mild, creamy Ricotta – a lovely counter to the heat of the chilli.
Easy, Effortless Cherry Tomato Pasta
When it comes to low-labour, high-reward recipe options, my cherry tomato pasta is a firm favourite, especially when it comes to midweek entertaining. And it’s made doubly so by making it in my air fryer, the Instant Vortex Plus Clearcook with Odor Ease . So, if you need a little inspiration and are looking for something utterly delicious, but with very little effort on your part – you know what to do!
Spread the Love
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is this dish gluten-free?
No. You could make it gluten-free if you substitute wheat flour spaghetti for gluten-free pasta.
Should I only use spaghetti?
No. You could also use linguine or tagliatelle
Is this recipe suitable for vegans?
The recipe can be made vegan friendly if you substitute the dairy ricotta with a dairy-free plant-based ricotta and substitute the dairy parmesan with a plant-based parmesan.
Can I leave out the chilli?
Absolutely – if you want to dial down the heat, this recipe works just as well without the chilli.
Cherry Tomato Pasta with Spicy Confit Tomato and Chilli Spaghetti
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 3-4
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cherry Tomato Pasta made with Spicy Confit Tomato and Chilli is deceptively simple yet bursts with irresistible flavour. The secret lies in slow cooking the tomatoes – confit style- that results in a soft, juicy and deliciously jammy consistency with an intense tomato flavour.
Ingredients
For the confit chilli garlic tomato sauce
- 500g Cherry tomatoes
- 4–6 cloves roasted garlic
- 1 white onion
- 2 chillies
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 200–300ml extra virgin olive oil
Tomato Spaghetti
- 240g dried spaghetti
- Parmesan for serving*
- Fresh Ricotta for serving optional
- 5g/ 3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped.
*vegetarians and vegans: parmesan can be subbed for vegetarian or vegan-friendly alternative, and the ricotta can be omitted, or a similar suitable replacement (like almond ricotta) can be used
Special equipment
A deep ceramic roasting dish, suitably sized for your air fryer
Just the two of us….
A family of two? This recipe serves 4, but if leftovers bore you, you can halve the amount of pasta. Cook the full amount of tomato confit and switch it up the next night, using the tomato confit to make our Tomato Salad Duo Over Roasted Garlic Cannellini Bean Puree. Two days, one batch batch of prep, two meals. Thats winning on a weeknight.
Instructions
- Thinly slice the white onion and distribute it in an even layer in your roasting dish. Nestle the whole cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves on top of the onion.
- Halve the chillis and remove the seeds, and then scatter these over the tomatoes along with the chilli flakes.
- Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes until they are mostly submerged. (it’s fine if a few peek out a little, as they will soften and sink once they begin to cook).
- Agitate the ingredients until the chilli and garlic are all completely submerged.
- Let’s cook!
Air fry: Place the roasting dish into the air fryer basket. Close the drawer, and select roast. Set the temperature to 145C and the time to 45 minutes. There is no need to preheat
Oven: Preheat the oven to 160C. Once hot, place the roasting dish into the oven, and cook for 35- 45 minutes, or until the tomatoes are blistered, wrinkled and jammy. - During the last 10 minutes of cook time, bring a pot of water to the boil, with a pinch of salt, and cook the spaghetti until very al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce).
- Drain the spaghetti, reserving 250ml of pasta water
- Once the tomatoes have cooked, drain off a little of the excess oil and set aside. See our tips and tricks below for using this flavour bomb oil in everything from salad dressings to a dipping oil for crusty bread.
- In the pasta pot, over medium heat, add 2-3 of the confit garlic cloves from your tomato confit, and smash them with the back of a spoon.
- Spoon in the tomatoes and onions, then tip in the drained pasta.
- Add a splash of the reserved pasta water, and then finely grate in a small handful of parmesan.
- Agitate the pasta, allowing the cheese to melt, and the sauce to thicken. Taste the pasta and sauce, and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the spaghetti between two bowls, top with 1 Tbsp each of fresh ricotta if using, some more finely grated parmesan, and finish with finely chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
You can store the tomato garlic confit oil in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s great as a base for salad dressings, as a dipping oil for crusty bread, or drizzled over roasted veggies. Alternatively, you can freeze it in ice trays where it will keep for 3 months. Simply pop out a cube or two and defrost when ready to use.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Mains
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
Nutrition
- Calories: 794.87kcal
- Sugar: 2.89g
- Sodium: 48.66mg
- Fat: 73.77g
- Saturated Fat: 11.14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 60.34g
- Trans Fat: 0.04g
- Carbohydrates: 29.13g
- Fiber: 1.92g
- Protein: 6.72g
- Cholesterol: 7.24mg
2 Responses
If I do not have an air fryer, how can I make the confit in the oven? Thanks!
Just adjusted the recipe with oven instructions. Happy Cooking!