If you've got a kitchen and have reached the level for pasta you can make that (sorry don't know what level it unlocks at). If you haven't done the second caravan (comes after the sugar rush quest which I think comes at level 7) it needs you to load 50 tomatoes.
That's correct you can only collect when they're ready (coin or bag icon over them). You get 1 extra xp and 20% extra income.