Recipe: Tomato Pasta
There are three things I believe about tomato pasta. One: it needs salt, a little bit more than you might think. Tomatoes are juicy and their flavors really come forward when showered with salt. Two: tomato pasta needs butter—lots of it. Olive oil is wonderful (and would seem to be the natural partner to tomatoes), but you can create some real magic when you combine butter and tomatoes. Grated hard cheese with strong character (like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino) can stand in for butter in a pinch, although I do think butter is superior. Three: this last belief might be a little controversial, but I prefer tomato pasta with gently cooked tomatoes; not raw, chopped tomatoes and not deeply caramelized roasted tomatoes. I want them softened a little bit. I want them to just burst open from the heat if they’re cherry tomatoes. Here’s my recipe:
Tomato Pasta
Serves 4
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. While the water heats up, melt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a non-reactive skillet over medium heat. Add some thinly sliced garlic (from 4 to 7 cloves) and cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant and softens without browning at all. Mix in 2 pints of cherry tomatoes—look for orange Sungolds, which are especially delicious, or use a variety of colors. Season the tomatoes with a few big pinches of salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst open and their juices thicken slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. When the pot of water boils, add 1 pound of dried pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining the pasta and adding it directly to the skillet of tomatoes. Stir in half of the reserved cooking water and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two. Taste and add more salt if needed and/or more cooking water to loosen the sauce if you prefer. Just before serving, mix in dried chile flakes, finely chopped hot Calabrian chile peppers, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino cheese, dried oregano, thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, etc.
