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!”
Spicy Summer Tomato Orecchiette
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, pittedand halved
Serve with:
Freshly cracked black pepper
Parmesan, shaved
Basil leaves
Directions:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. While the pasta boils, add the Castelvetrano olives to the sauce and continue to simmer the sauce on low.
6. 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.
7. Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with freshly cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan, toasted pine nuts, and basil. Enjoy immediately.