Finally, a bit of relief; the temperatures have slightly dropped, and we can enjoy a small break from this oppressive heat! I took the opportunity to experiment with a first course different from the usual pasta salads I have accustomed you to until now, and which will make you literally fall in love! I just mentioned that I seized the opportunity because to prepare the cream with which these linguine will be seasoned, you need to turn on the oven for about an hour and a half, and it’s not feasible unless the air outside is more than cool and pleasant! So, unless you are one of those few daredevils who always turn on the oven no matter what, I strongly recommend this dish only if the climate allows for this small sacrifice, which I assure you, will really be worth it! The daring seasoning in question is nothing more than based on confit tomatoes, which I absolutely love, but I had never tried them pureed into a cream for pasta! For those who don’t know, the term confit means “candied,” in fact, cherry tomatoes are halved, seasoned with aromatic herbs, oil, salt, pepper, and brown sugar, and finally baked slowly until perfectly caramelized! At the end of cooking, they will be soft, flavorful, and incredibly fragrant, and even as is, you could use them as a tantalizing side dish, but some time ago I saw a chef on TV blending them to season pasta, and I absolutely adored this idea! I then personalized the dish with a crumble made of Parmesan and basil and a fresh and fragrant touch in the end with lemon zest! I tell you, at the first forkful, you will feel an incredible explosion of taste, so prepare it for great occasions because it will become the perfect gourmet-style Sunday first course capable of surprising your guests with just a few simple moves!
If you are pasta lovers and wish to amaze your guests with simple yet scenographically impressive dishes, here below are some other proposals that will be just right for you:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients
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- 11 oz linguine
- 17.6 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- to taste oregano
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 3.5 oz Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
- 2/3 cup basil
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Blender
- 1 Pan
- 1 Immersion Blender
- 1 Slotted Spoon
- 1 Pot
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Parchment Paper
- Paper Towels
Steps
Start by preparing the confit cherry tomatoes. After thoroughly washing the cherry tomatoes under running water, dry them with paper towels and cut them in half on a cutting board (fig. 1).
Place the cherry tomatoes cut side up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, sprinkle salt to taste, ground pepper, oregano, a drizzle of oil over all the cherry tomatoes, and finally the brown sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 300°F for about 1 hour and 20 minutes ** (fig. 2).
In a blender, roughly chop the parmesan with the basil until you obtain a breadcrumb-like consistency (fig. 3).
Once ready and still hot, transfer the cherry tomatoes, keeping a few aside for the final decoration, along with the oil into a beaker to blend with an immersion blender (fig. 4).
Blend to obtain a cream that you will subsequently strain through a sieve to extract the sauce and set aside the skins (fig. 5).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine, reserving a cup of cooking water before draining them (fig. 6).
Transfer the confit cherry tomato sauce to a large pan over low heat and thin it with a little cooking water until you achieve the desired creaminess (fig. 7).
Drain the linguine al dente and add them to the confit cherry tomato sauce. Stir and finish cooking (fig. 8).
Plate, serving with some whole confit cherry tomatoes and a generous amount of basil crumble.
And voilà… the linguine with confit cherry tomato sauce and basil crumble are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Tips and Suggestions
🟣 * For this recipe, if you don’t have cherry tomatoes available, you can substitute them with pachino, piccadilly, or even datterini tomatoes.
🟣** Since every oven can vary based on its characteristics, the advice is to set a shorter cooking time and add more minutes only if necessary.
