For those tired of elaborate meal prep, a new recipe promises a quick and flavorful weeknight dinner. The dish, a sun-dried tomato caper pasta, combines simple ingredients to create a meal that feels special with minimal effort.
The recipe starts with a base of pasta, with spaghetti or bucatini recommended. The sauce relies on sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. The oil from the jar is used to cook the shallots, providing an extra layer of flavor.
To build the sauce, thinly sliced shallots are cooked in the sun-dried tomato oil until soft. Tomato paste and red pepper flakes are added and cooked until the color darkens. Finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and roughly chopped capers are then stirred in. After a minute, the heat is lowered, and heavy cream and grated parmesan are added to create a smooth sauce.
The cooked pasta is added to the pan with a splash of the reserved pasta water. The mixture is stirred until the sauce coats the noodles evenly. The dish is served warm and topped with fresh basil.
The ingredient list is short. It includes pasta, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, shallots, tomato paste, garlic, capers, heavy cream, parmesan, and basil. The recipe notes that any plant-based milk can be substituted for the heavy cream.
Tips for Best Results
The recipe includes several tips for success. Cooking the tomato paste with the shallots until it darkens helps caramelize the flavor and reduce the raw tomato taste. To prevent the cream from curdling, it should be brought to room temperature before being added to the pan, and the heat should be lowered first. Finally, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining is recommended, as it helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
The dish can be served on its own or with a side salad. Suggested pairings include a broccoli caesar salad, a green salad with sesame dressing, or a halloumi salad with shallot vinaigrette.
