PENNE CON POMODORI AL FORNO

Penne con Pomodori al Forno image

Provided by Vittoria Alberghetti

Categories Fish Pasta Tomato Roast Parmesan Parsley

Yield Serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 pounds tomatoes (the best quality you can find)
red pepper flakes
sea salt (coarse or milled)
black pepper
8 to 10 anchovy fillets packed in olive oil (go for the nicer ones, not Reese's but something imported), coarsely chopped (in halves or thirds), with the olive oil reserved
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil (you can include the reserved oil from the anchovies here if you wish)
1 pound penne rigate (preferably Di Cecco or Barilla) or pasta with lots of sauce-trapping surface area, think ridges (it should not be slippery spaghetti or fettuccine)
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino (or combination)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400°F, and put the water for the pasta on to boil (be sure to salt the water with a couple of heaping spoonfuls of salt).
Slice tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. (If they are Romas, it's best to slice lengthwise, whereas a rotund beefsteak tomato should be sliced horizontally, parallel with its equator. The idea is to maximize surface area.)
Cut enough slices to cover the bottom of an oven-proof skillet (cast iron is preferable but anything oven-proof and no larger than 10 inches in diameter will do), without overlapping. Sprinkle a pinch of red pepper flakes, a dash of salt, a dash of pepper and about one quarter to one third of your anchovies on this first layer. Repeat the tomato layering and spicing until you run out of tomatoes. The idea is to make sure you are distributing anchovies and spices evenly.
Pour olive oil on top of the layered tomatoes. Reduce oven to 375°F, and bake for 20 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, it's safe to put your pasta on to boil.
The tomatoes are ready when the oil has visibly risen and is boiling. The tomatoes on top should appear somewhat shriveled, perhaps even a bit browned. If the tomatoes get to this point before your pasta is ready, it's fine to turn off the oven and let the skillet keep warm inside.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss with fresh Italian parsely and grated cheese. Do not be thrown by the puddle at the bottom of the bowl. It is a very wet sauce that requires thorough tossing and constant grabbing of goodies from the bottom of the bowl with each plate served.