Italian trottole pasta cooked in a rich roasted tomato sauce. A feel-good main dish made in under 30 minutes using just 7 ingredients.

Bored of the same old pasta sauce, you're always making? You've come to the right place!
This gorgeous pasta has been on our weekly meal plan almost every single week for the past couple of years - I am NOT exaggerating, it's that good!
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🌱 Why I Love This Recipe
- So rich & satisfying
- Beginner-friendly
- Easy to customize
- Minimal cleaning required
- It turns out perfect each time
- No fancy ingredients
- Quick & simple
And what's more, I’ve prepared step-by-step photos to help you NAIL this recipe on your first go!
You've been warned - this might start a whole new pasta addiction in your household!
🥛 Ingredients
You'll need just 7 simple ingredients for this vibrant dish.

Ingredient Details
Baby plum tomatoes - Can be replaced with cherry tomatoes. Any small tomatoes will do.
Garlic - It can be left out, but it adds such brilliant flavor.
Almond milk - can be replaced with other milk too. Just make sure it's unsweetened!
Olive oil - Extra virgin olive oil is excellent for this, but you can use light olive oil too.
Vegetable broth - I make mine simply by dissolving one vegetable stock cube in boiling water. Give it a good mix, and you're good to go.
Fresh basil (OPTIONAL) - to top it all off. It can be left out or replaced with other herbs of choice.
We'll also be topping the dish with salt & pepper (to taste).
🥄 Equipment
You will need the following:
- A large pasta pan
- An oven dish
⏲️ Steps
TIP - Don't forget this is just a super quick overview. For detailed steps & exact measurements, check out the recipe card at the bottom.
You can also print the recipe there if desired!

- Preheat oven to 392°F (180°C). Add tomatoes & oil to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Toss & roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Add oil & minced garlic to a stockpot. Gently fry on low heat.
- Add the milk & vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil & add the pasta. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for about 8-9 minutes.
- When the pasta is almost cooked, remove the tomatoes from the oven and mash them with a potato masher or a large fork.
- They should be almost completely mashed.
- In the meantime, your pasta should be cooked.
- Add mashed tomatoes to the sauce. Stir well.
- Serve with fresh basil and black pepper if desired.
💡 Expert Tips
- Prep ahead - preheat the oven, mince the garlic & measure out all the ingredients ahead. This will make the cooking process super swift & stress-free.
- The recipe calls for quite a lot of garlic. If you're not a fan, use less or leave it out altogether.
- You can also use onion instead.
- Avoid using large (beef, etc.) tomatoes.
- Serve piping hot - don't leave it at room temperature too long.
- Ensure the tomatoes are roasted thoroughly - their skin should look wrinkled and a little bit brown on the side.
- When you add pasta to the pan, there should be enough liquid to cover or almost cover all the pasta. Simmering the sauce will make it thicker and have a more sauce-like consistency.
- Add a little cream or coconut milk to thicken it if you prefer a thicker cream sauce.
Extra hint - make it extra colorful by using tricolor pasta!
❓FAQ

Many other pasta shapes. Think fusilli, penne, rotini, rigatoni & casarecce.
This particular recipe works with so many pasta shapes, dare I say all of them. I've tried it with spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, and even macaroni.
Aim for around 70g (uncooked) per person. This equals about X cups.
It means 'spinning top' in Italian.
🥦 Serving
This is SUCH a versatile dish.
I like serving it with a protein side dish to make it more filling.
You could also add more veggies. Roasted broccoli, brussels sprouts, or bell peppers work well.
You could add roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a crunchy finish. You can also top it off with a fresh rocket.
I love adding vegan parmesan cheese if I want to make it a little extra salty.
The options are endless!
📦 Storing

It's super easy to store this pasta.
Just transfer it to an airtight container & store it in the fridge. Eat within 3-4 days.
To freeze - Pop it into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw and reheat thoroughly before serving.
TIP - Freeze just the sauce (without pasta) separately. When you're ready to serve it, let it thaw & cook a fresh batch of pasta.
🍝 More Pasta Recipes
Do you love pasta? Check out my other recipes!
Got any questions? Just leave a comment below, and I'll gladly help you!
Made this trottole pasta dish? If you made this recipe, it would mean a LOT to me if you could leave a comment & star rating below - seeing your comments always makes my day!
🍴Recipe

The BEST 30-Minute Trottole Pasta
EQUIPMENT
- A large pasta pan / saucepan
- An ovenproof dish
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 cups (400 g) baby plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic
- 5.5 oz (150 g) trottole pasta or other pasta
- 1⅔ cups (400 ml) vegetable stock
- ¾ cups (200 ml) almond milk unsweetened
- 6 small leaves basil
- salt & pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 392°F (180°C).
- Add tomatoes to an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil (reserve the other tablespoon for later). Sprinkle with salt & pepper, toss & roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes.3 cups baby plum tomatoes
- In the meantime, mince the garlic. Heat up the remaining tbsp of oil in a large stockpot & add the minced garlic. Gently fry on low heat until it releases an aroma.6 cloves garlic
- Immediately add the milk & vegetable stock. Bring to a boil & add the pasta.1⅔ cups vegetable stock, ¾ cups almond milk, 5.5 oz trottole pasta
- Simmer uncovered on medium heat for about 8-9 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente (firm to the bite).
- If the sauce is looking too dry, add more liquid (either milk or stock will do).
- When the pasta is almost cooked, remove the tomatoes from the oven and use a potato masher or a large fork to mash them, then add them to the sauce. Stir well.
- Sprinkle some fresh basil on top and serve with extra freshly cracked pepper.6 small leaves basil, salt & pepper
Notes
- Tip 1 - Prep ahead - preheat the oven, mince the garlic & measure out all the ingredients ahead. This will make the cooking process super swift & stress-free..
- Tip 2 - Don't like garlic? Use less or leave it out altogether. You can also sub it out for onion.
- Tip 3 - Serve piping hot.
- Tip 4 - Avoid using large (beef, etc) tomatoes.
- Tip 5 - When you add pasta to the pan, there should be enough liquids to cover or almost cover all the pasta. As you simmer the sauce, it will become thicker and have a more sauce-like consistency. Add more liquid if needed.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
Lu
That looks so juicy and yummy! Have to try it out asap!