Baked Brie Pasta Sauce (Printable Version)

Creamy baked brie with cherry tomatoes and herbs creates a luscious sauce for fettuccine.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz fettuccine

→ Sauce

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

→ Garnish

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

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
02 - Combine cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper in a large ovenproof baking dish. Toss to coat evenly.
03 - Nestle the brie chunks into the center of the baking dish, partially encircled by the tomatoes.
04 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes until tomatoes are soft and bursting and brie is melted and creamy.
05 - While sauce bakes, cook fettuccine in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) pasta water, then drain.
06 - Remove baking dish from oven and stir melted brie with tomatoes until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.
07 - Add hot drained fettuccine to the sauce and toss thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a silky texture.
08 - Scatter torn basil leaves across the top, season with additional freshly ground black pepper if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get restaurant-quality indulgence without spending forty-five minutes at the stove.
  • The brie does almost all the work, and watching it transform is genuinely satisfying.
  • It tastes like you know some secret about cheese that other people don't.
02 -
  • The brie won't fully melt into a smooth sauce by itself, which is why you stir it with the tomatoes after baking to create that creamy texture.
  • If your sauce looks too thick when you mix in the pasta, the reserved pasta water is your fix—it sounds silly but that starch is pure gold for silky coatings.
03 -
  • Toast your brie chunks slightly in a dry pan before baking if you want them to hold their shape better and develop a subtle crust.
  • The rind of the brie melts too, so don't remove it thinking you need to—it adds subtle complexity to the final sauce.
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