Summer Pasta with Tomato and Shallot Confit

This favorite Summer Pasta with Tomato and Shallot Confit is bursting with brightness! Sun-ripened sweet cherry tomatoes are slowly cooked in olive oil with shallots, garlic, and thyme sprigs until jammy and caramelized. Tossed with pasta and topped with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, it is a simple and spectacular recipe you’re going to regularly crave.

Summer pasta dishes have always brought me great joy. I’m not talking about cold pasta salads, which are also a very good thing. I’m talking about pasta dishes that are frequently vegetarian, but warm, hearty and satisfying enough to be dinner all on their own. The ones that are even more lovely when enjoyed outdoors with a cold glass of rosé.

This summer pasta with tomato and shallot confit, which is a summer staple in our home, is one of those dishes. As soon as sweet, sun-kissed, perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes appear at the markets, it is the one l make on repeat the rest of the summer.

Along with shallots, sliced cloves of garlic, and thyme sprigs, the tomatoes get baked in a bath of olive oil until shrivelled and jammy. With the exception of one quick stir halfway through, the confit process is completely hands off.

Toss the stewy deliciousness with your favourite pasta, and a very easy, shockingly good, visually pleasing dinner, is served.

What Is Confit?

The word confit refers to any food that has been slow cooked at a low temperature in olive oil or sugar syrup to be preserved. It is a brilliant technique that adds a depth of flavour and complexity to the ingredient you use.

Duck confit, for example, is a favourite confit in French cuisine. Vegetables such as tomatoes, garlic, and shallots also benefit from this method. (Tip: Highly recommend a garlic confit – so good!)

For this simple recipe, I confit cherry tomatoes, garlic and shallots together. The tomatoes lose their acidity and become wrinkled, soft and sweeter than candy. Garlic’s sharp potency becomes muted and gains a succulent, perfum-y quality that I could smear on everything. Ditto for the shallots.

Admittedly, there is a lot of olive oil used here. However, I implore you to be generous with the amount. You won’t use it all for the pasta, but the luxurious, flavoured-infused, remaining oil will keep in the fridge for days and enhance any dish you spoon it over. Think roasted potatoes, grilled fish, scrambled eggs, and just about anything else you can think of.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Bring on the summer tomatoes! Noting beats market fresh tomatoes in the summertime and sweet cherry tomatoes are the star of this pasta dish. No need to chop them, they will burst and shrivel when cooked.
• The confit is out-of-this-world-delicious. Roasting the garlic, shallots, and tomatoes enhances their flavour making them sweeter and deeply savoury. For an easy appetizer, spoon any leftover confit on top of crusty bread slices – divine!
• An easy pasta dish that screams summer. Full of flavor and easy to throw together, this pasta dish is light yet filling, and exactly what I like summer to taste like.
• Vegan and gluten-free adaptable. I love a dish that just about everyone can enjoy and if you use a vegan cheese this dish is completely vegan. There are many options available now for gluten-free pastas so use your favourite for tossing with the confit.
• Delicious warm, cold or room temperature. This summer pasta with tomato and shallot confit is delicious no matter how you serve it. 

 

Ingredient Notes

This tomato confit recipe has few ingredients but its success relies on the freshest you can find. You can certainly make this dish throughout the year but for a truly spectacular dish, try making it at least once during tomato season. 

• Cherry tomatoes: Any color or variety of grape or cherry tomatoes will work for this confit recipe. I don’t recommend using regular tomatoes because they will release too much liquid and not caramelize properly. But if all you have is regular tomatoes, go ahead and use them, just make sure to quarter them first.
• Garlic: I like to use 4-6 fat garlic cloves. When roasted, their pungency mellows and become irresistibly delicious. Try and use the freshest you can find.
• Shallots: When roasted, the shallots become meltingly tender and jam-like and are a revelation when tossed with pasta.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Again, for the best flavor possible, use a nice and fresh olive oil and the highest quality you can afford.
• Thyme: A few fresh thyme sprigs infuse the confit with lovely aromas and flavor.
• Pasta: You can use any pasta shape you like here but I quite enjoy it with a tangle of spaghetti.
• Red pepper flakes: Optional, if you want to add a touch of heat to the finished dish.
• Parmesan: Shaved or grated parmesan for serving.
• Basil: Torn fresh basil leaves will add loads of flavor and brighten the dish. Use any fresh herbs you like or have on hand. 
• Salt & black pepper: To season both the confit and the pasta.

 

How To Make Summer Pasta With Tomato and Shallot Confit

To make this delectable, hands-off confit, you simply toss the ingredients in a baking dish, then let the oven do all the work for you. Here’s how the dish comes together: 

• In a casserole dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil over everything, then toss to combine. Top with thyme sprigs.
• Bake until the vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized, about 45-55 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
• While the tomatoes are cooking, boil pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, or according to package instructions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.
• Add a few cups of tomato and shallot confit with the juices, tossing to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the basil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes (if using).
• Serve immediately, topped with parmesan and passing additional tomato and shallot confit at the table, if desired.

Find the full instructions and measurements in recipe card below.

Other Ways To Use The Tomato And Shallot Confit

I absolutely love the tomato and shallot confit tossed with pasta—the oily tomato broth clings to the noodles, and the sweet and jammy tomatoes are little pearls of goodness peeking through the pasta. But you can use it many other ways. Here’s a few suggestions:

• Crostini: Spoon over ricotta crostinis, or just plain crostinis.
• With Burrata cheese: Place a ball of burrata in a bowl and top with the tender tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to scoop up all the deliciousness.
• Grilled meat or fish: Any grilled meat or fish would be outstanding topped with the tomato shallot confit.
• With eggs: Serve it on the side with scrambled eggs, quiche or frittatas.
• With hummus or cheesy dip: The confit will elevate some star-bought hummus – simply spread the hummus in a shallow bowl, top with the confit then please invite me over. Similarly, top any cheesy dip with it – yum!

How To Store

Any leftover tomato confit can be cooled and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.

You can also freeze cooled confit in freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator then reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat.

 

More Summer Pasta Recipes To Try

This recipe was originally published in August 2019. The post has been re-written for clearer instructions, but the recipe remains the same.