Monday, March 17, 2008

Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I'm participating in a recipe swap for the Australia/New Zealand area of Recipezaar. Strangely enough, you don't have to do Australian or New Zealand recipes for this swap, just participate.

Last week, I made some Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. I haven't had many pasta dishes that don't have a sauce, but this recipe sounded the best out of the ones I had to choose from, so I went for it. I love pasta, I love tomatoes, the only thing I wasn't sure about was my boyfriend because he doesn't like raw tomatoes.

This was such a simple, tasty dish to make. I easily threw it together, halved the recipe, and it was on the table in about 20 minutes. I can't wait to make this again!

Note: The recipe doesn't state what type of breadcrumbs to make, I used Italian style. It will take about 30 minutes to cook the full recipe.

Penne with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

2 lbs. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (plus more for serving)
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 lb. penne
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Place tomato halves in a single layer on the bottom of a casserole dish.
  3. Coat with oil and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cheese.
  5. Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have wilted.
  6. After placing tomatoes in the oven, heat a pot of water until boiling. Season well with sea salt.
  7. Cook penne until al dente.
  8. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
  9. Drain pasta and toss with tomato mixture, adding 2-3 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and basil.
  10. Season to taste, adding reserved pasta water if more moisture is needed.
  11. Dish out and top with additional cheese to taste.

 

Made by Lena