Rigatoni with Fiery Roast Tomatoes and Ricotta

Pictures by Saghar Setareh

This pasta is impressed by the volcanic island of Stromboli within the Aeolian Islands and its fiery unpredictable nature.

I like this dish because it delivers on taste and deliciousness with minimal effort. All that’s required is placing a dish of tomatoes within the oven, adopted by the ricotta, cooking the pasta, and uniting the 2 within the baking dish. I like to think about it as an ode to Stromboli by means of spice and domed ricotta.

• 1 lb. 5 oz. cherry tomatoes, lower into quarters
  

• 1 small crimson chili, deseeded and finely chopped
  

• ¼ tsp. chili flakes
  

• 2½ fl. oz. olive oil
  

• Sea salt
  

• 9 oz. ricotta, drained
  

• 1 lb. 2 oz. rigatoni
  

• 2¾ oz. parmesan, finely grated
  

• Handful of basil leaves
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (standard oven) or 350°F (convection/fan-forced oven).

2. Put the cherry tomatoes in a big baking dish (I take advantage of one engaging sufficient to serve from). Add the chopped chili, chili flakes, half the olive oil, and a few beneficiant pinches of salt and toss to mix. Roast for quarter-hour.

3. Take away the tomatoes from the oven—by now they need to have began to steam and collapse. Use a spoon to make an area within the heart and nestle the ricotta into the combination, extensive base downwards in order that it seems to be like a bit volcano. Spoon a few of the cooking juices over the ricotta, together with one other drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Return to the oven and roast for one more quarter-hour.

4. In the meantime, deliver a big saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the rigatoni, give it a very good stir in order that it doesn’t stick collectively, and prepare dinner till al dente (about 12–13 minutes, however examine the package deal directions). Drain, reserving half a mugful of the pasta water in case it’s wanted.

5. Take away the tomatoes and ricotta from the oven. Add the drained rigatoni, parmesan, basil and remaining olive oil and gently toss to mix, with a splash of pasta water if wanted. Take the dish to the desk and serve instantly.

Excerpted from Italian Coastal by Amber Guinness. © Thames & Hudson Australia 2024. Textual content © Amber Guinness. Reprinted by permission of Thames & Hudson Inc. Recipe photograph credit score: © Saghar Setareh