Pasta with rainbow cherry tomatoes

Pasta and macaroni Italian cuisine

This is my desert island food. I have been making it ever since I discovered the recipe in Bon Appetit's May 2011 Italy Issue, which revolutionized the way I made pasta. This particular recipe was created by the incomparable Mario Batali. I have have made this recipe many ways over the past four years and adapted it to suit my tastes, changing the ingredient ratios and adding a bit of cream (the cream is optional, but recommended). This is not a light meal - this is a curl up in front of the TV on a Sunday night with a bowl of pasta in your lap and a glass of wine in your hand meal. It is worth every single calorie though, I promise you that. A few notes: 1. Begin with bringing the water to a boil as this dish comes together rather quickly. Also, do not skip salting the water once it boils. This is essential to the pasta's flavor. 2. Use smaller cherry or grape tomatoes as they cook faster (any larger than 1 inch, cut in half). I do not recommend using all red tomatoes, as they have a different texture and take longer to cook. I recommend using all orange, all yellow, or a combination of red, orange, and yellow (the original recipe called for Sun Golds, but those are difficult to find year-round; I usually use Zimas). 3. You can skimp on the olive oil a little, if you wish, without compromising too much flavor - do not use less than 6 tablespoons though. 4. Use your biggest pans - I use a 16-inch high sided skillet and an 8 quart stock pot. It helps the dish cook quicker and more evenly. If you don't have a large skillet, use two pans, and finish the pasta in the stockpot. 5. Use good Parm for this, but it doesn't have to be the best money can buy. My favorite is the Whole Foods 365 Grated Parmesan in the 5 oz. containers (buy 2). 6. DO NOT - I repeat - DO NOT overcook your pasta with this dish. This dish is pretty foolproof, but if you overcook your pasta, it will not taste as good. My recommendation is to drain your pasta about 2 minutes BEFORE al dente - it will continue cooking in the sauce and be perfect when it is done. 7. This recipe is easily halved, but not easily doubled. I recommend making two batches if you need to double it. It does not reheat well. If you want leftovers, reserve remaining pasta water and reheat on the stove with a tablespoon or two of the water until warm. Adapted from Mario Batali's recipe published in Bon Appetit's wonderful May 2011 Italy Issue.

Oct. 1, 2021, 11:49 a.m.