As a chef and cookbook author, I always enjoy a challenge. So, given what we are all going through around the globe, I have tasked myself with developing dishes that offer a burst of flavor with few ingredients.
I’ve been combining various components to add to simple dishes to amp up their flavor, and I’ve come up with a recipe for a delightfully rustic cherry tomato and garlic sauce. It should be easy to find the basic ingredients for this dish right now. Hopefully, most of them are already in your pantry.
This dish fondly reminds me of a lunch I enjoyed at a Venetian trattoria I visited a few years back. While none of us will be visiting Italy anytime soon, it’s uplifting to enjoy a little “taste of Italy.”
A colorful variety of cherry tomatoes are available right now; they are a cook’s best friend while we await the real tomato season. They have little bursts of sweet flavor when tossed into a salad and are a nice surprise when halved and roasted in the oven — allowing their rich, intense caramel tomato flavor to come forward.
Rustic in flavor and presentation, this recipe can be served right out of the baking dish; so use a pretty one that can come to the table.
Make sure to mix the pasta well with the sauce for best flavor. You should plan on a few minutes to halve the tomatoes. but that’s the most work you will do for this recipe. Serve this on its own with a mixed green salad.
This chunky, roasted tomato sauce is also delicious spooned over a simple piece of roasted or grilled fish, or you can spoon the sauce on top of crispy, toasted French bread slices (crostini). I often add a dollop of ricotta cheese or a grating of Parmesan cheese on top of the tomato mixture and serve it as a lovely appetizer. A glass of sparkling wine would be a nice addition to this meal.
Tasty tips
–Add cooked shredded chicken to the pasta for a more substantial dish.
–Grill shrimp or scallops and place them on top of the pasta.
–Refrigerate any leftover pasta and serve chilled the next day, with cold roast chicken, salmon or halibut.
–Add a little balsamic reduction to the pasta.
Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomato and Garlic Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
1 1/2 pounds ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh French breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
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1 pound penne, fusilli or spaghetti pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put the tomato halves in a large oven-proof baking dish that can be brought to the table.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon evenly over the tomatoes. Spoon the olive oil evenly over the mixture.
3. Roast the tomatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly, browned and slightly thickened.
4. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta for about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well.
5. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture in the baking dish. Add the basil and toss well to combine so that sauce clings to the pasta. Serve immediately.
(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)
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(c) 2020, DIANE ROSSEN WORTHINGTON. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.