Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Rinse and dry the cherry tomatoes thoroughly. Place them in a mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, followed by salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes. Toss until coated.

Slice off the top of a head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and place on the baking sheet with the tomatoes.

Roast the tomatoes and garlic for about 25-30 minutes, until tomatoes are blistered and garlic is tender.

Boil salted water and cook pasta until al dente, saving 1 cup of cooking water.

Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl, mash into a paste, and mix in the roasted tomatoes and their juices to create a chunky sauce.

Stir in remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season to taste.

Toss drained pasta with roasted sauce, adding reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.

Fold in fresh basil, serve warm topped with grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast.