Bucatini with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
I can’t resist buying cherry tomatoes (or any type of small tomato) when they’re in season, but I never seem to use them all in salads before they start to go soft. Here’s a quick and rustic pasta dish that solves the problem. It’s particularly fast, since you don’t even need to take a knife to the tomatoes; the heat of the pan does all the work. The sauce goes well with bucatini, also called perciatelli, a very thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole in the middle. Use thick spaghetti if you can’t find bucatini.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Large pinch of red pepper flakes
2 heaping cups cherry or grape tomatoes
1/4 cup oil-cured or nicoise olives, pitted
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped marjoram
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano
SERVINGS: 4 as a first course, 2 as a main course
PREPARATION
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook pasta using the package directions as a guideline, stirring occasionally, until al denté. During cooking, remove a piece of pasta and taste for doneness.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and tomatoes and sauté over medium-high heat until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 minutes.
Add the olives to the frying pan and continue to sauté over medium heat. As the pasta is finishing, add the marjoram to the tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium.
Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water. Add to the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water. Divide the pasta among warmed plates and top with the grated cheese.