Linguine with roasted cherry tomatoes, chilli, olives and pine nuts

Sometimes the best recipes are the most simple.  This is especially true of pizza or pasta dishes.



This is a go to pasta recipe I make when I have some lovely cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs to use.  As most people would know, roasting tomato just lifts it to another dimension, it becomes sweet and intense in flavour.  Just add a few more essentials; some salty pecorino and olives, fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts and a fruity splash of extra virgin olive oil and you have a lunch or dinner fit for just about anybody (just ask the Italians, unlike our westernised version of Italian food, the real deal is so much more flavourful and honest and meat isn't always the main event).



This is one of those recipes you can change easily - I love the garlic and chilli flavours with a subtle lemon twist but feel free to go with what suits you.





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Ant enjoying his pasta


Recipe:



500g washed and dried cherry tomatoes

1 tspn extra virgin olive oil

Salt, freshly ground pepper

180g uncooked linguine

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 chilli, diced finely

1 tspn grated lemon zest

2 small cloves garlic, crushed

60g pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1/4 fresh basil leaves

20g toasted pine nuts

20g shaved pecorino



Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.



Combine whole cherry tomatoes, olive oil and seasoning and roast in oven for around an hour, or until tomatoes collapse and shrink.  You can roast them faster if you prefer - it takes around 10 minutes at 200 degrees C.  I do find they are better slow roasted but admit I often forget to do this right before dinner.



Slowly heat olive oil, lemon zest, chilli and garlic until cooked through - ensure the oil is on low and doesn't fry as the ingredients will burn and turn bitter.



Boil linguine in lots of salted boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain pasta, reserving around 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Return linguine to the saucepan.



Toss olive oil mixture, olives, cherry tomatoes and basil through pasta on low heat until combined - add pasta water if you need a bit more moisture.



Serve with shaved pecorino and pine nuts sprinkled on top.



Serves 2 large serves, 3 small