Penne With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Recipe from Paola di Mauro

Adapted by Amanda Hesser

Penne With Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(2,413)
Comments
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This exquisitely simple recipe came to The Times in a 2001 article about Paola di Mauro, an Italian winemaker in Marina, a small town southeast of Rome. She was one of a band of cooks who helped distinguish "cucina casalinga," roughly translated as "housewives' cooking." From her humble kitchen, Ms. di Mauro mentored some of the best Italian chefs and restaurateurs in the United States, including Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Piero Selvaggio and Tony May. Her recipe is easy and calls for just five ingredients – cherry tomatoes, olive oil, pecorino romano and penne pasta – but get your hands on the best ingredients you can afford. Ms. di Mauro intended this to serve four as a first course, but if you're making this for dinner, double the recipe. —Amanda Hesser

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings
  • 1pound small cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ⅓cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for tossing
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼cup freshly grated pecorino romano, more for serving
  • ¼cup bread crumbs
  • ½pound penne
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

525 calories; 30 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 493 milligrams sodium

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

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line bottom of casserole dish with cherry tomatoes in a single layer, halved side up. Pour oil on top, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until tomatoes have wilted, about 20 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with enough sea salt so that water tastes mildly of salt. When tomatoes are just about done, add penne to water and cook until al dente (it should be pliable, but still firm in center). Scoop out about a cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to casserole. Fold tomatoes and pasta together, adding another 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it is dry, add a little reserved pasta water. Serve, passing more grated cheese at the table.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,413 user ratings
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Comments

Nancy

I make this often. I include 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely, to the halved grape tomatoes, a Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and occasionally red bell pepper. I roast at 375 for about 40 minutes and serve with fresh basil and grated cheese. It ALWAYS gets compliments.

TP

I don't understand why the NYT recipes always slather otherwise healthy meals in olive oil or butter. I get that it tastes great that way but for those of us on diets (most of us, I'd wager) many recipes work just fine cutting back on the oil. @Sam Sifton, can there be a side note included on creative ways to lighten up some of these recipes?

Deb

I added basil and garlic to the tomatoe mixture.I also omitted the extra olive oil when tossing the pasta together with the veggie mix.

Jane M

Added chopped garlic, combined pecorino romano with panko and added, then sprinkled with Kensington Food Company's (from Philly Reading Terminal Market) Smoked Balsamic Vinegar, The latter was subtle but lovely, no other additions were desired. Tossed in the casserole with spinach and mozzarella ravioli. We loved it.

Liza

Anyone make this without halving the cherry or grape toms? #lazy

Moto L

Followed the recipe, except saw other comments about adding garlic or not salty enough, so I sprinkled in garlic salt last minute. Tasted great! Also, I ended up cooking the pasta in the pot like normal vs al dente as I used a glass casserole dish and did not need extra pasta water, just a little extra olive oil and a little extra cheese. Double the recipe if you plan to use the whole package of penne pasta rather than 6 oz.

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Credits

Adapted from Paola di Mauro

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