Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

Roasting enhances the flavors of any vegetable, but seems to add a wonderful, rich sweetness when done with cherry tomatoes. This recipe takes that sweetness, complements it with fresh herbs and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes, with some low-fat ricotta to smooth it all out. I topped it with some salty, nutty Pecorino cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red cherry tomatoes, halved
• 0.5 pound tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 0.75 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 12 ounces whole wheat linguine
• 0.5 (16 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese
• 0.5 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine all tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a large, glass baking dish; toss to coat.
3. Roast in the middle of the preheated oven, stirring regularly, until tomatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in basil, parsley, and oregano.
4. When the tomatoes have been roasting for about 35 minutes, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes (cook for 2 minutes less than package directions.) Drain and return to the pot.
5. Add the roasted tomatoes and herbs to the linguine and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Add ricotta cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
6. Serve topped with Pecorino Romano cheese.