Indulge in the flavors of summer with our heirloom tomato pasta recipe, topped with crunchy pangrattato and fresh basil.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4servings
Calories: 756kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer
Ingredients
1.5poundsheirloom tomatoes
2tablespoonsolive oil, divided
1large yellow onion, diced
3clovesgarlic, thinly sliced (not crushed)
3tablespoonstomato paste
1cupvegetable stock
1poundspaghetti
3tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
1tablespoonsugar
salt and pepper
fresh basil
For the Pangrattato
½cupmixed seeds (such as pine nuts or sunflower seeds)
¾cupwhite breadcrumbs
Drizzle olive oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375° and lightly spray a large baking dish with olive oil.
Roughly chop the larger heirloom tomatoes and cut the smaller ones in half. Put them in the baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are roasted.
When 10 minutes have passed, bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add the spaghetti, and cook for 11 minutes or until al dente. Then drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened. Add the sliced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 additional minute.
Add the roasted tomatoes, vegetable stock, balsamic vinegar, and sugar to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Pangrattato
Heat a drizzle of oil in a small skillet and add the mixed seeds and breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs will quickly soak up the oil. Toast the breadcrumbs and seeds in the skillet until golden brown. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Assembly
To assemble the dish, add the spaghetti directly to the sauce and toss to combine. Transfer to pasta bowls or plates and sprinkle with fresh basil and Pangrattato to serve.
Notes
We used a selection of heirloom tomatoes to make this dish; however, you can use any variety of tomatoes you like. We love mixing in some cherry tomatoes too.
We used long spaghetti as the pasta element for this recipe. You can use any pasta you prefer.
Pangrattato is a fancy name for crispy breadcrumbs. It’s also known as “poor man’s parmesan.” We added mixed seeds to jazz the breadcrumb topping up a bit, but if you don’t have any seeds, you can leave them out and simply toast the breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can mix 1/4 cup of parmesan (or vegan hard cheese) with the crispy breadcrumbs, which are also really delicious.
If you don’t have a small skillet to toast the breadcrumbs, you can combine them with the mixed seeds and a drizzle of oil, put them on a small baking sheet, and into a hot oven for 3-4 minutes.
Heirloom Tomato Pasta is best eaten fresh as soon as it’s made. However, it will keep for three days in the refrigerator. The pasta will soak up a lot of the sauce, so if you need to reheat a portion, you can do so in a pan on the stove and add a splash of water if it looks a little dry.