Despite the lengthy recipe name, this recipe is perfect to make for an easy weeknight meal. Don’t skip the Fried Caper Crumb topping! The delicious crumbs not only add a wonderful texture to this pasta dish, but a TON of flavor. Honestly, I used to hate capers and I wasn’t sure I liked anchovies. The anchovies melt into the sauce, leaving a subtle but delicious “umami” flavor. This is a recipe I’ll make many times over. We loved it!
I can hardly wait for our home grown cherry tomatoes to be ready. In the meantime, I’ll gladly pay for cherry tomatoes at my grocery store so I can make this recipe again…and again. This pasta dish is the perfect way to showcase cherry tomatoes. The crowning glory is the Fried Caper Crumb Topping. What a delicious surprise!
I’m so glad that I’ve overcome my childhood aversion to capers. I used to think they were disgusting, and I’d pick them out of any dish that had them. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate their briny and salty flavor that works in dishes like my Halibut Picatta . Let’s talk about anchovies, shall we? Trust me, they melt into the tomato sauce. You’d never know they were there, except for the delicious flavor. So, here are some of the cast of characters:
Here is what America’s Test Kitchen (the source of this recipe) has to say about the cherry tomatoes for this pasta:
Cherry tomatoes are the perfect choice for a quick fresh tomato sauce. You can toss them directly into the pan without any prep, and they don’t need lengthy cooking to concentrate their flavor or thicken into a sauce. That’s because they’re naturally more flavorful than the bigger varieties conventionally used in sauce, and they’re full of soluble pectin that breaks down readily to a silky, saucy consistency.
Americas Test Kitchen
I spent about 20 minutes, or so, organizing my mis en place. That is, measuring, grating, slicing the ingredients for this recipe. Once that’s done, the rest comes together in about 15 minutes.
For the topping, heat the olive oil. The drained capers and anchovy (in this case, anchovy paste) splattered a bit– so stand back! The capers were fried until crispy and brown– then removed with a slotted spoon.
To the flavored oil, the panko crumbs were toasted until golden. Last, but not least, lemon zest, salt and pepper (to taste) and parsley were added. Done! In the meantime, start some salted pasta water to boiling.
The sauce is minimal work, too. I added thinly sliced garlic cloves and a finely minced anchovy to olive oil until just slightly golden (don’t mince the garlic, as it can burn too quickly). The cherry tomatoes have been rinsed and drained. Stand back, as you add the tomatoes– it can splatter (and it did).
Once the tomatoes were in the pot, I added some salt, sugar and red pepper flakes. The tomatoes are covered and cooked, without stirring) for 10 minutes. Ding! Time’s up. They smell so good!
While the tomatoes were cooking, I pulled some fresh basil leaves from our plant and tore them into larger pieces. NOTE: I buy a basil plant year-round, and it thrives in our sunny kitchen window– that’s how much I love fresh basil. I’ve given up planting them in our garden, because snails love them, too.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid (in case the sauce becomes too dry). Add the tomato sauce, fresh basil and give it a gentle stir. Add the reserved pasta water if the dish seems too dry.
My kitchen smelled like an Italian restaurant, in a good way! I had cut the recipe in half, since it was just the two of us. 45 minutes, I was calling out for dinner.
I made sure to top the pasta off with the crumb topping, and poured a glass of wine.
TASTING NOTES: Mmmm. That’s what my husband and I said, after a bite or two. This is such a simple dish, with so much flavor! That crumb topping! Sensational! The red pepper flakes had a gentle background of heat. Panko crumbs give such a lovely texture to recipes. The entire pot of pasta (reduced in half) was gone. It was filling, but we didn’t feel stuffed. We felt satisfied and grateful. Americas Test Kitchen gets a round of applause for this recipe. I have a paid subscription to their recipe website, and it’s worth every penny. I have, yet, to have a recipe fail from their recipes.
Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce and Fried Caper Crumbs
Ingredients
For the crumb topping: (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup capers rinsed and patted dry
- 1 anchovy fillet rinsed and patted dry, and minced
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
For the pasta:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves sliced thin
- 2 anchovy fillets rinsed patted dry, and minced
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes see notes about substitutions
- 1 ½ teaspoons table salt plus salt for cooking pasta
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces penne rigate orecchiette, campanelle, or other short pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 2 pieces and chilled
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves torn if large
Instructions
FOR THE TOPPING
- Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering.Add capers and anchovy and cook, stirring frequently, until capers have darkened and shrunk, 3 to 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer caper mixture to paper towel–lined plate; set aside.Leave oil in skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Add panko, salt, and pepper to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until panko is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer panko to medium bowl. Stir in parsley, lemon zest, and reserved caper mixture.
FOR THE PASTA:
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.While water is coming to boil, heat oil, garlic, and anchovies in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until anchovies break down and garlic is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. NOTE: I used anchovy paste, as that is what I keep in my refrigerator, and that worked out fine. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes to saucepan and stir to combine. Cover and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Off heat, add butter and tomato mixture to pasta and stir gently until oil, butter, and tomato juices combine to form light sauce, about 15 seconds. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed, adding 2 tablespoons at a time. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste. Serve, passing topping separately.
Notes
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