Orecchiette with Coriander and Little Tomatoes #recipe from Molly MacRae

 

Bring on the summer tomatoes and fresh basil! My basil hasn’t even sprouted so we aren’t there, yet, in central Illinois. But that doesn’t keep me from dreaming or buying basil at the grocery store. I like this recipe for its simple to make sauce and the ton (2 tablespoons) of coriander. It gives a great citrusy pop to the sauce. If you can’t find ricotta salata, queso fresco is a good substitute. We like this pasta as is, but you can turn it into a more robust dish by adding chicken or shrimp.

 

Orecchiette with Coriander and Little Tomatoes

(adapted from Milk Street Noodles by Christopher Kimball)

 

Ingredients

1 pound orecchiette pasta (or other interesting shape)

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1/4 cup olive oil

2 pints little tomatoes

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (we love garlic so I used more like 9)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 ounce (1/4 cup) ricotta salata cheese (or queso fresco)

1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn (or a good amount of dried)

 

Directions

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to the boil. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain pasta and set aside. (The last time I made this, I forgot to reserve the cup of water, so it didn’t go into the dish. We didn’t notice it was missing.)

Wipe the pot dry, set over medium heat, add coriander and toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add oil and cook about 2 minutes. Measure 2 teaspoons of the now infused oil into a small bowl and set aside.

Add tomatoes and garlic to the pot, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, until softened and oil looks reddish, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and gently crush tomatoes with a potato masher to release some of their juice. (Even crushing them gently and can make some of them spurt – beware!) Continue cooking, stirring to combine tomatoes with oil, about 1 minute. If you remembered to reserve the cup of pasta water, add it now. Bring to a simmer over medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is slightly reduced and tomatoes are further softened. If you forgot to reserve the cup of water just proceed as though you did, simmering the tomatoes until they’re further softened, about 3 minutes.

Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until pasta is al dente and has absorbed some of the liquid, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, taste, and season with salt and pepper. You can transfer to serving bowl and top with the cheese and basil, or you can be more casual and top with cheese and basil right in the cooking pot. (I got over zealous and stirred in the cheese and basil.)

 

Look for Molly’s new series—the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

Book 1: Come Shell or High Water out June 25!

 

When widowed folklorist Maureen Nash visits a legendary North Carolina barrier island shell shop, she discovers its resident ghost pirate and the mystery of a local’s untimely death . . .

And in the meantime, you can enjoy Molly's other books.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.

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