Skillet recipes are one of my favorite quick dinners. A cast iron skillet is perfect to char tomatoes that makes a simple yet flavorful sauce. The pasta is cooked right in the skillet then topped with Mozzarella cheese and quickly broiled for a cheesy melted finish. Dinner is ready in no time at all!
Now that the Thanksgiving and Christmas meat and sugar filled holidays are behind us, I’m wanting to make more meatless meals. The first thing that comes to mind is pasta. One of my first places I go for inspiration is America’s Test Kitchen. Not only do I subscribe to their website, I also own several copies of their cookbooks, including Cook It In Cast Iron. I have, yet, to be disappointed in any of the recipes I’ve tried (and shared on my blog).
I love my cast iron skillets and use them a LOT! I don’t find them difficult to clean and to season. I’ve baked cake, pizzas and cookies in my cast iron skillet. One Pot Pasta is such a simple way for a quick dinner. I was intrigued at making a simple tomato sauce with charred tomatoes. A Cast Iron Skillet is idea, because you need really high heat to char the tomatoes. A non-stick skillet isn’t going to work, so if you don”t have a cast iron skillet (you should) then a stainless steel skillet can work.
Grape or cherry tomatoes work well for this recipe. Of course, you need plenty of minced garlic. Turn your cast iron skillet to really high heat. Screaming hot! The tomatoes have been tossed with oil and salted. Here we go!
Red pepper flakes, garlic and tomato paste gets the party started. Give it all a good mash.
Add water and (my addition) some Italian Herb Seasoning. Add Ziti Pasta (yes, you can substitute with any kind of tube pasta). Add a lid and set the stove to a vigorous simmer– about 18 minutes. Stir often.
Test a noodle to check that it’s cooked. Add Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Stir in the basil and season with black pepper, taste and then add Mozzarella (not pictured).
Broil until just melted, about 5 minutes. Serve!
TASTING NOTES: This is such an easy pasta dinner, and it’s all made in one skillet. The sauce is simple with a perfect balance of garlic and a little smokiness from the charred tomatoes. You can up the ante on the red pepper flakes, if you’re one who loves heat. Since it’s just the two of us, leftovers reheated beautifully.
Cast Iron Baked Ziti with Charred Tomatoes
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet or a stainless steel skillet; non-stick skillet is not recommeded
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds grape tomatoes I used cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning my addition
- 12 ounces ziti pasta 3 3/4 cups
- 3 cups water plus extra as needed
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese grated (1/2 cup)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (1 cup) (I doubled it)
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler.
- Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Toss tomatoes with oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly charred and blistered, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Off heat, coarsely mash tomatoes using potato masher.
- To the skillet, stir in pasta and water and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to vigorous simmer, cover, and cook, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Stir in Parmesan and adjust sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed.
- Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in Parmesan and adjust sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Transfer skillet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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