Pasta with Creamy Roasted Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce Recipe
This pasta is homemade Italian comfort food – a simple, creamy sauce made from roasted tomatoes and mascarpone that coats every piece of pasta. It’s something between a classic tomato sauce and a delicate cream sauce. In Italy, dishes like this are often made on weeknights, when you don’t have much time but still want a proper home-cooked dinner.
This is a variation on Italian oven-baked tomato sauces, especially popular in places where a wood-fired oven is already running for pizza. Roasting gives you the effect of long reduction without having to watch a pot on the stove.
This pasta combines the depth of roasted tomatoes with the velvetiness of mascarpone, creating a sauce that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours but comes together in under an hour. It’s a great example of Italian home cooking: just a few ingredients, each with a purpose – roasted tomatoes bring umami and sweetness, mascarpone softens the acidity, and garlic and herbs add character. The dish is light in flavour yet very satisfying.
Why this version works
- Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavour and adds caramelised notes without long simmering.
- Mascarpone softens the acidity and thickens the sauce while staying neutral in taste.
- Starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling in a creamy layer to every bite.
- Blending until smooth gives the sauce a velvety, restaurant-style texture.
Chef's tips
Roast the tomatoes until they’re lightly charred at the edges and have released their juices – those caramelised bits are where most of the flavour is. Add the mascarpone at the very end, off high heat, so the sauce doesn’t curdle and stays smooth. Always save some pasta cooking water and add it gradually to the sauce until it nicely coats every piece – that’s the key to a creamy consistency without heaviness.
How to serve
Serve with a glass of simple Italian red wine, such as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, or with water and a slice of lemon if you’re eating midweek. Put only freshly grated Parmesan and a bowl of green salad with vinaigrette on the table – no extra sides are needed. At my place this pasta most often saves Monday evenings, when I get home late from work and want something “restaurant-like” without long cooking.
Watch out for
- Don’t add mascarpone to a dry, very hot pan – combine it straight away with the warm tomatoes.
- Don’t skimp on salt in the pasta water – under-seasoned pasta will dilute the flavour of the sauce.
- Don’t blend the tomatoes with the garlic skins, or the sauce will be fibrous and slightly bitter.
Substitutions
- You can replace mascarpone with thick 30–36% heavy cream, reducing it briefly.
- Cherry tomatoes can be replaced with good-quality canned tomatoes, drained of their juice.
- Instead of Parmesan, use grana padano or a mature hard cheese similar to Polish bursztyn.
Ingredients
- short pasta (penne, fusilli or rigatoni) (or another favourite) - 320 g
- cherry or plum tomatoes (you can use regular tomatoes cut into quarters) - 600 g
- mascarpone cheese (can be replaced with thick 30% cream) - 150 g
- garlic (lightly crushed) - 3 cloves
- olive oil (preferably extra virgin) - 3 tablespoons
- dried oregano - 1 teaspoon
- fresh basil (leaves, torn by hand) - 1 handful
- salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- grated Parmesan or Grana Padano (for serving; can be omitted for a version without hard cheese) - 40 g
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (top and bottom heat). Wash the tomatoes, cut larger ones in halves or quarters and arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cut side up, in a single layer without overlapping.
- Add the garlic cloves to the tray in their skins, lightly crushed with a knife. Drizzle everything with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano, then mix with your hands until the tomatoes are evenly coated and lightly glossy.
- Place the tray in the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the tomatoes soften, the edges are lightly browned and there is a thick, intensely fragrant juice on the tray with caramelised edges but no black spots.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it generously so it is distinctly salty, like the sea. Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente – soft on the outside with a slight resistance in the centre.
- Just before draining the pasta, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta in a colander, but do not rinse it – the surface should stay slightly starchy and matte.
- Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven. Take off the garlic skins and press the soft centres back into the tomatoes with your fingers or a knife, then mix them into the juices on the tray, scraping up the caramelised bits.
- Transfer the tomatoes and garlic to a tall container. Add the mascarpone and blend with a hand blender into a smooth, creamy sauce; if it is very thick, add 2–3 tablespoons of hot pasta water until it is pourable but silky.
- Return the pasta to the pot, pour in the tomato sauce and add a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Stir over low heat for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and coats every piece evenly without pooling at the bottom.
- Add the torn basil leaves, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Gently mix so the herbs just wilt from the heat but keep their bright green colour and fresh aroma.
- Serve immediately, sprinkling each portion with grated Parmesan or grana padano – the cheese should melt slightly on the hot pasta and form a thin, creamy layer on the surface.
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat gently in a pan over low heat, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce. Avoid boiling so the sauce doesn’t split.
I added this sauce to our home “on-duty menu” – I make it on weekdays when my calendar is packed with online meetings and I need a 30-minute lunch. I often roast a double batch of tomatoes so I can use them the next day for bruschetta or shakshuka.
