Another amazing box and I’ve spent the afternoon thinking about recipes that make a little different way for us to enjoy all that squash, and to heighten the flavor of that clamshell of tomatoes. So this week’s note is recipe heavy. I’m making the gratin tonight.
Triple Garlic Pasta with Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Breadcrumbs Recipe
This recipe popped up in my inbox this afternoon – part of a collection of tomato recipes from Serious Eats and a great reminder of the power of oven-drying tomatoes. If you’re not sure what to do with that quart of little tomatoes, consider this recipe.
1 quart cherry or plum tomatoes, split in half
10 cloves garlic (4 thinly sliced, 2 minced, 2 smashed), divided
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 slices hearty white bread, roughly torn
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 pound penne, ziti, rigatoni, or other thick tubular pasta
1 cup sliced pitted kalamata or other olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion whites and pale greens
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place tomatoes, cut-side up, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Scatter sliced garlic cloves and thyme sprigs evenly over tomatoes. Season with salt. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and place in oven. Cook, rotating occasionally, until tomatoes are shriveled and half dried, and garlic is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs.
Meanwhile, combine bread and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and process until broken into fine crumbs, about 10 seconds. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add breadcrumbs and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until pale golden brown and starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue tossing until golden brown and completely crisp, a few minutes longer. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in chopped parsley and set aside.
Wipe out skillet, add remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 smashed garlic cloves, and place over medium-low heat. Cook, flipping garlic occasionally, until garlic is tender and pale golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer garlic to a cutting board, allow to cool, and finely mince. Return garlic to skillet.
Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano to skillet with garlic oil and cook, stirring with a whisk, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add white wine, whisk to combine, and simmer until reduced and saucy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
When tomatoes are cooked, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add cooked pasta to skillet with tomato paste/white wine mixture. Add dried tomatoes/garlic. Add olives, scallions, and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over high heat, tossing and stirring constantly, until sauce evenly coats all of the pasta. Add half of breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs, and serve immediately.
Sweet Pepper, Zucchini and Cheddar Clafoutis
Clafoutis, if you think of them at all, are generally sweet. Love this idea, adapted from “Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France” by Melissa Clark (Clarkson Potter, 2020).
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
2 ounces sliced ham, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium bell peppers, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch wide strips
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh lemon juice, for serving
Crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
Position a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, basil, flour, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup (3 ounces) of the cheddar and the ham, if using.
In a 9-inch ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the vegetables acquire golden edges, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Scrape the egg mixture into the skillet and top it with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar and the Parmesan. (Or, for a more elegant presentation, scrape the vegetables into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart casserole dish and add the egg mixture and cheese on top.) Bake for about 25 minutes, until the eggs are set in the middle and puffed at the edges. The internal temperature should be about 160 degrees and the tip of a thin knife inserted should come out clean.
Let the clafoutis cool for several minutes, then sprinkle with a little lemon juice and red pepper flakes before serving.