Quick roasted summer tomato pasta

Protein-packed, sunshine-friendly, and just the right amount of messy. You throw together a tray of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and a few extras, then let them gently roast to soften and deepen the flavour.

It’s vibrant and clever in all the right ways. A lentil or other protein-based pasta brings substance and slow-release energy, while white beans quietly boost both protein and fibre. Toasted pine nuts add buttery crunch, and a handful of capers or olives brings that salty-little-something that makes the dish sing.

This is warm-weather food that feeds you back; fast to make, slow to eat, and just as good cold from the fridge the next day.

If you’ve fought off the pests and dry weather to grow your own tomatoes, you can have an extra smug post-dinner smile on your face!

THE SECRET INGREDIENT: Roasted tomato juices
When you gently roast fresh tomatoes with a little olive oil, garlic and salt, they soften and begin to collapse, releasing their natural juices and concentrating flavour. Roasting at 180C keeps it gentle enough to preserve the quality of the extra virgin olive oil, which retains its polyphenols and antioxidant benefits at this temperature.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Unlike many nutrients, lycopene becomes more bioavailable when heated, meaning roasting actually boosts its absorption. Tomatoes also contribute vitamin C, potassium, and small amounts of folate and vitamin K1, all important for energy metabolism, immune health and recovery.

Combined with olive oil, which enhances the absorption of fat-soluble compounds, roasted tomato juices become more than just flavour, they become a nutritional delivery system, supporting cellular repair, anti-inflammatory processes, and heart health.

Serves: 2

Prep and cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

300g mixed tomatoes, halved or sliced, depending on size

2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

A good pinch or two of chilli flakes (optional)

230g white beans (drained and rinsed weight - that’s 1 tin’s worth) - I used cannellini but butter beans are also good, or try borlotti

1 good handful of fresh basil, torn

Zest of ½ lemon (finely grated zest)

30g toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons capers or chopped olives (optional for saltiness)

120g pasta - use whichever you like, but lentil, pea or even edamame pasta give extra protein content, or try buckwheat pasta (for the photo I used Biona spelt spinach pasta, because I like it!)

To serve: Rocket or mixed salad leaves

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C. On a baking tray (it can be helpful to line one with baking parchment to stop it all sticking), toss the tomatoes with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, a good pinch of salt and pepper and the chilli flakes, if using those. Roast for 20 minutes, adding the white beans and basil 5 minutes before they’re done. While they’re roasting, zest the lemon, toast the pine nuts, fry the capers (if you’re going to) and boil the pasta according to the pack instructions. Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pan. Add the roasted tomatoes and their juices, the lemon zest and half the pine nuts. Add the capers now too, if you’ve not fried them. Gently toss to bring everything together, adding more salt, pepper and freshly torn basil, if you like. Serve with the (fried) capers or olives, remaining pine nuts and a side of rocket or salad leaves.

Notes:

This dish is just as good cold, so it’s great for packed lunches or leftovers the next day. You can easily double the recipe and it scales well.

If you have time, fry the capers. Just a minute or two in a hot pan with a slick of olive oil until they go crisp and frilly. Sprinkle over the top before serving. They are fabulous. Salty, crunchy, and wildly moreish.

Pine nuts take just a couple of minutes in a dry frying pan to toast - keep them moving on a medium-low heat and keep your beady eye on them, as they catch and burn very quickly. Keep a little plate handy to transfer them straight onto.

Baking parchment - bit of a pain in the wotsit to get in the tray? Not if you scrunch it up first.

Nutritional breakdown per serving*:

Protein – 25.8g

Fibre – 12.3g

Healthy fats – 26.3g

Calories – 581 kcal

*Information may vary slightly if using different nutritional calculators.