Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Adapted from NYT Cooking

• 1 pound small cherry tomatoes, halved (not grape tomatoes – it comes out to about 1.5 pint cartons. Basically enough to cover the bottom of a 13×9 inch casserole dish)
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing (3-4 tablespoons is plenty and I don’t add any more when tossing)
• Sea salt (I use about 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
• ¼ cup freshly grated pecorino romano, more for serving (Parmesan works too)
• ¼ cup bread crumbs (preferably not Panko)
• 1 pound penne or spaghetti, with 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1. Preheat oven to 425-F degrees.
2. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up.
3. Pour oil on top and season with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs to cover the top of the tomatoes.
5. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, boil pasta in salted water until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
7. Drain pasta and add to casserole and mix with tomatoes.
8. Add the pasta and some reserved pasta water; mix well, scraping up breadcrumbs stuck to the bottom of the dish.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add salt, cheese or olive oil if needed.

Rigatoni with Cherry Tomatoes and Anchovies

Recipe adapted from Milk Street

(Untested)

2 pints cherry tomatoes

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

5 oil-packed anchovy fillets

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound rigatoni, ziti or mezze rigati pasta

Finely grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Heat the oven to broil with a rack about 6 inches from the element. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture, including the oil, to the prepared baking sheet and broil until the tomatoes are blistered and most have burst, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.
2. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons oil and the garlic; cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic, then stir in the onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is fully softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the anchovies and pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until the anchovies have broken down, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes with juices. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, stirring often and pressing on the tomatoes that did not burst during broiling, until the tomatoes have broken down, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. In a large pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente.
6. Drain the pasta set, reserving 2 cups of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the tomato mixture followed by the reserved pasta water.
7. Cover and cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 5 to 7 minutes.
8. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan.