Article: Spicy Summer Tomato Orecchiette
Spicy Summer Tomato Orecchiette
This simple, weeknight pasta celebrates the height of tomato season with a kick of heat. Juicy, sun-ripened tomatoes pair up with spicy chili peppers and garlic to add depth and warmth to the chewy orecchiette. This simple, yet fiery dish, is perfect for late-summer dinners. It proves the familiar adage that “less really is more!”
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, or whatever juicy summer tomatoes you have on hand
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb orecchiette pasta
- 1/4 pine nuts
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved
Serve with:
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Parmesan, shaved
- Basil leaves
Directions
- In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil over low heat and add the garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and Aleppo pepper. Sauté on low for about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and tomato paste and continue to cook on low for another 5 minutes.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and let simmer on low for about 30 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break open the tomatoes as they soften.
- Once the pasta has simmered and thickened, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water, and boil the orecchiette pasta (according to the package directions), until al dente.
- In a small saucepan, toast the pine nuts over low heat until browned and fragrant, about 2-4 minutes. Be careful not to let them burn. Once toasted, remove them from the heat and set aside.
- While the pasta boils, add the Castelvetrano olives to the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce on low.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the orecchiette and add to the sauce. Add additional pasta water, if desired, to thin the sauce and contribute to the flavor.
- Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with freshly cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and basil. Enjoy immediately.