Do not use

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One of our favourite pasta dishes, especially when paired with a glass of wine. Dried basil can be used in place of fresh. Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their sweetness and flavour. If you prefer a mild pasta, use only a pinch of the hot pepper flakes.

  • Average
  • Average budget

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
  • 1 pinch pepper
  • 1 package of chopped pancetta
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper flakes
  • 4 kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 6 oz (170 g) bucatini pasta or spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

In small bowl, toss together tomatoes, 1 tsp of the oil and pepper. Place, cut side up, on foil-lined baking sheet; roast in 325ºF (160ºC) oven until shrivelled and starting to brown, about 25 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in nonstick skillet, cook pancetta over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove to paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Step 3

In large pot of boiling salted water, start cooking pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add remaining oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes to skillet; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in olives and tomatoes.

Drain cooked pasta and return to pot. Toss with tomato mixture, basil and salt. Serve topped with pancetta and Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information:
cal 566, pro 18g, total fat 23g, carb 72g, sugar 5g

Be generous with the cherry tomatoes - red and yellow are best. You can roast the tomatoes in the same dish you want to serve in to cut down on dishes; just add the pasta and pancetta mixture.