Baked Brie Pasta Sauce (Printable)

A creamy blend of melted brie, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and herbs tossed with fettuccine for an indulgent dish.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Sauce

02 - 9 oz brie cheese wheel with rind, cut into large chunks
03 - 1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
05 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thyme
07 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
08 - ½ tsp kosher salt
09 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

10 - 10 fresh basil leaves, torn
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F (200°C) to heat up.
02 - Combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large ovenproof baking dish and toss to evenly distribute.
03 - Nestle the brie chunks in the center of the baking dish, partly surrounded by the tomato mixture.
04 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes until tomatoes are soft and bursting and the brie is melted and creamy.
05 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook fettuccine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup (4 fl oz) of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
06 - Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir the melted brie and tomatoes to form a smooth sauce. Add the drained fettuccine to the dish and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed for desired creaminess.
07 - Scatter torn basil leaves over the pasta and finish with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire wheel of brie melts into a silky sauce that coats every strand without any cream or butter needed.
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect for something that tastes like restaurant food.
  • The burst cherry tomatoes add sweet, acidic pops that keep the richness from feeling heavy.
02 -
  • The pasta water is your secret weapon, it carries starch that emulsifies the brie and makes the sauce cling instead of sliding off each bite.
  • Don't skip reserving it or you'll end up with separated puddles of oil and cheese instead of a unified, silky sauce.
03 -
  • Don't cut your brie into tiny pieces, larger chunks melt more slowly and create a smoother sauce without breaking into separated puddles of oil and solids.
  • If your tomatoes aren't bursting by the 25-minute mark, give them another 3 to 5 minutes, they need to be soft enough to break down slightly into the brie.
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