Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta Puttanesca

Sweet summer cherry tomatoes take traditional puttanesca to new heights, complementing the briny olives and capers, but if you want to make this dish in the colder months, you can easily swap in canned tomatoes. This version keeps it vegan, but you … — Sweet summer cherry tomatoes take traditional puttanesca to new heights, complementing the briny olives and capers, but if you want to make this dish in the colder months, you can easily swap in canned tomatoes. This version keeps it vegan, but you can always add a few anchovy fillets and grate on some parmesan cheese to add umami flavors. (Photo source: Lauren Skillen)

Inspired by Mark Bittman and Alexa Weibel

| Yield: 2-4 servings | Time: 30 minutes |

Ingredients

16 ounces orecchiette pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 garlic cloves, minced 

24 ounces fresh cherry tomatoes (or a 28-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes)

1 ⁄2 cup pitted Kalamata olives 

3 tablespoons capers  (if salt-packed, rinse well)

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, for a few minutes.

Add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until some of the tomatoes start to burst and break down. You can use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of the tomatoes, while leaving others whole to create texture and a more dramatic presentation.

Stir in the olives and capers and reduce the heat to a low simmer while you cook the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce.

Once the large pot of water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions minus a minute or two if you prefer a more toothsome al dente bite. Drain the pasta and toss with the puttanesca sauce.

Serve pasta with an extra drizzle of olive oil and garnish with fresh parsley or basil.

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