What’s for dinner? Noodles!
Just two days ago, Milk Street released its newest cookbook called “Noodles, Secrets to the World’s Best Noodles, from Fettuccine Alfredo to Pad Thai to Miso Ramen.”
And today the Editorial Director of Milk Street, JM Hirsch joins Marysol Castro and Alex Lee to share some secrets from the book and show us how to make “Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Capers and Herbs.”
Recipe
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Capers, and Herbs
Start to finish: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
The tiny Italian island of Pantelleria off the coast of Sicily is the hjome of pesto pantesco, a puree of fruity
olive oil, fresh tomatoes, leafy herbs, briny cpaers and pungent garlic. For a quick, summery dinner, we
deconstructed the pesto and created a rustic no-cook sauce to toss with hot, just-drained pasta, creating
a sort of pasta salad (the dish the warm, not hot, when served). Toasted almonds add crunch and
pecorino cheese adds a sharpness that round of the flavors.
Ingredients
1 pound ziti or rigatoni
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
3 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (1 cup)
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring
occasionally, until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together the oil, garlic, capers, pepper flakes,
and ½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add the tomatoes, mint and basil, then toss.
When the pasta is done, drain well. Add the pasta to the tomato-herb mixture and toss. Sprinkle with
the almonds and cheese, then toss again. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
