½cupolive oil(approximately, divided, plus more for serving as needed; this is a very subjective amount — you'll see)
Salt and freshly ground pepper(to taste)
1clovegarlic(minced)
1cuppacked basil leaves
3tablespoonsfinely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1poundcavatappi(or other chunky pasta)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and coat it with nonstick cooking spray. Place the tomatoes and thyme sprigs on the baking sheet and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. oast for about 30 minutes, until they are wrinkly and slightly collapsed.
While the tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, make the pesto. Place the garlic and basil in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is roughly chopped. Add 1/3 cup of the oil, a bit of salt and pepper and process, scraping down the sides, part way through, until everything is well blended. If it is very thick, add a bit more olive oil. Add the cheese and pulse until blended in.
Cook the cavatappi according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and drain the pasta. Toss the pasta with the cooking water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil (more if it seems dry), and half of the roasted tomatoes (discard the thyme sprigs), and transfer to a serving bowl. Distribute the rest of the tomatoes over the pasta, dollop the pesto on top, and toss. Add more olive oil if desired. Serve hot, warm, or cold.
Video
Notes
This recipe calls for a lot of tomatoes, but they really shrink down during roasting. If you only had two pints, you’d still be in business. Just place them on the top to serve, so they don’t get lost in the tossing.