Pasta Salad With Summer Tomatoes, Basil and Olive Oil
Published June 11, 2019
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
- Total Time
- 25 minutes, plus marinating and cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 pounds very ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¼ cup drained capers or sliced olives
3 garlic cloves, finely grated or mashed to a paste
Kosher salt, as needed
¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 large basil sprig, plus ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves
3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, minced (optional)
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 pound short pasta, such as campanelle, fusilli or farfalle
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)
38 grams carbs; 1 milligram cholesterol; 285 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 358 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, capers, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, the whole basil sprig and anchovies if using. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in ½ cup oil. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. The tomatoes should be aggressively seasoned. Let tomatoes marinate for at least 1 hour and preferably 2 to 3.
- Step 2
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just al dente, usually a minute less than the package instructions. Drain well. Add to bowl with tomatoes while still warm and toss well. Let pasta cool, soaking up the dressing. Let pasta sit at room temperature for at least another hour and up to 6 hours before serving. Or chill for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.
- Step 3
Just before serving, gently fold in torn basil leaves. Top with more olive oil and cracked black pepper before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
@Oscar Leyte 1/2 teaspoon of salt to dress a pound of pasta is not a lot of salt. The salt in the water adds only a little salt to the pasta as it cooks. And contrary to popular myth, you only need to limit salt intake if you have high blood pressure. Salt does NOT cause high blood pressure, it just aggravates it. So whether your are young or old and have perfect blood pressure you can use all the salt you want.
There are a lot of variations on this one, all of them good! One of my favorites is the Silver Palate's version - they add a pound of brie to the sauce. Decadent...but totally delicious.
Wonderful recipe. Used both capers and olives, increasing total to one half cup. Mashed garlic with salt and anchovies. For crunch, added small-diced red pepper and celery (one large rib) to the marinade. Added feta just before serving. Tasted great the next day, too.
Unclear how to “toss the still-warm pasta in the tomato water(?).” I’d like to try making this, it but the article describing the dish (Secret #3) and the recipe itself don’t quite compute.
I’m a faithful reader of the recipes here, and have enjoyed many of them over the years. Neither my husband nor I can tolerate red pepper flakes. I leave them out, but why do so many recipes call for them? Red pepper flakes seem to be everywhere. Is there a good substitute for these which will still brighten the recipe. We don’t enjoy spicy food.
You could try sweet paprika. Banana peppers aren't considered hot peppers, I've always used fresh.
Can you use anchovy paste instead and how much would you recommend?