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A simple, summery, and Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto. Great for nights when you’re craving cozy Italian and fresh summer flavors. This dish is made with fresh garden cherry tomatoes that are roasted with herbs and pureed into a creamy sauce with ricotta cheese. All together they make for the most vibrant and delicious summer pasta. Finish the dish off with parmesan cheese and crispy-salty prosciutto.
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Just like most people, I love a summer Caprese salad. It’s a summer classic. And when tomatoes are really at their peak, nice and juicy and sweet, it’s a delicious salad to enjoy almost daily.
But I have to admit, there are only so many tomato, basil, and mozzarella dishes I can enjoy before getting a little bored. Tomatoes can obviously be used throughout so many different recipes, so I’m trying to branch out and away from Caprese this season.
Instead, I’m trying to create more unique dishes, like tomato pastries, and plenty of Italian pasta.
Here are the steps to making this pasta
I tried to keep this as simple as possible, so don’t let the steps and cooking time throw you off. Promise this recipe is easy enough for a weeknight.
The heart of the pasta is really all in the roasted garlic tomato sauce. The herbs, cheese, and prosciutto just help make every bite really extra yummy.
My trick is to roast the tomatoes, garlic, and prosciutto together on the same sheet pan. As the tomatoes roast, the garlic caramelizes, and the prosciutto gets crispy.
Roast the tomatoes and garlic with lots of fresh thyme, rosemary, chili flakes, salt, and pepper.
Arrange the prosciutto on top of the tomatoes, then roast everything until those tomatoes burst and the prosciutto is crispy. It doesn’t take too long.
If you don’t eat meat, you can easily omit the prosciutto to make this a vegetarian pasta. It’s going to be great either way.
Purée the tomatoes into a sauce
When the tomatoes have finished roasting, puree them with the garlic and ricotta cheese until smooth. You can do this in a food processor or blender.
Boil the pasta, but save some of the water for thinning the sauce. Melt the butter in a skillet with a little more fresh thyme. Next, add the tomato sauce, gouda cheese, the pasta, plus the reserved whole tomatoes. Toss everything together until it’s super creamy.
Finish with the prosciutto, and of course, I always add fresh basil. A wonderful easy pasta for these mid-summer days and even into the fall.
Looking for more summer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Skillet Burst Cherry Tomato Summer Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs
One Pot Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
Pesto Chicken Saltimbocca with Burst Tomatoes and Burrata
Detroit Style Tomato Herb Pepperoni Pizza
Cherry Tomato Pasta Alla Vodka
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Roasted Tomato Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 6-10 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 slices prosciutto, leave out if vegetarian
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 pound long or short cut pasta
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425° F.2. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, 2 tablespoons thyme, rosemary, and a pinch each of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Arrange the prosciutto on top of the tomatoes. Bake 15-20 minutes, until the prosciutto is crisp and the tomatoes are bursting. 3. Add 2/3's of the tomatoes, the garlic, and the ricotta to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.5. In the same pot, melt together the butter and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook until the butter is browning, then add the tomato puree and 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, stirring until combined. Melt in the gouda and parmesan.6. Add the pasta and remaining tomatoes to the sauce, tossing to combine. If needed, thin the sauce with a little of the reserved pasta cooking water.7. Divide the pasta between plates. Top with parmesan, prosciutto, and fresh basil. EAT and ENJOY.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this recipe last night , very good. The family loved it!
Hi Susan,
Awesome! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Can this be made ahead of time?
Hi Kim,
Yes, that will work nicely for you! I would just wait to add the prosciutto. I hope you love this dish!
Question. When the recipe is switched to metric the quantities of Gouda and Parmesan are incredibly different. For example 1/2 cup of shredded Gouda is about 53 grams, not the 118 the recipe converts it to.
So, should this recipe be followed in U.S. or metric?
I’d really love to make this recipe as intended and make sure it’s right.
Hi Chris,
I would follow U.S. measurements for best results.
I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try!
Happy Sunday Tieghan,
I can’t wait to make this recipe – it’s gonna be the first pasta recipe I’m making since the year started. I don’t eat pork , what do you suggest for a substitute? Thanks in advance and hope you are enjoying these end of summer weeks!
Thanks so much, Tahniat! I would just skip the prosciutto. I hope you love this pasta!
If I’m making the sauce ahead of time and freezing it, obviously I’m not making the pasta so I won’t have pasta water to add to the sauce before freezing….what do I do?
Hi Susan,
You can just add the pasta water after the sauce has thawed. I hope this helps!
Great! The whole family loved it. I liked having prosciutto instead of ground beef for a change. I do think the calorie count is off for 6 servings, so be aware, if you care.
Hey Kendra,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Truly delicious! The sauce can take a little time to make so I make it in the morning. Then after work I can reheat the sauce and add the pasta. Easy and yummy!
Hey Sarah,
Perfect! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it!
After you roast the tomatoes and prosciutto do you purée the prosciutto too or take them out and leave it to put on top of pasta ?
Hey Linda,
You are not going to puree the prosciutto. You will remove that and save for topping on the pasta.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Would I be able to freeze this and then bake later?
Hi Teresa,
I probably wouldn’t recommend that, I would just freeze the sauce and then you can finish the recipe when you want to enjoy.
I hope this helps!