I know, I know, here I am back with the anchovies, and I’ll get back to that in a second, but the first thing I want to tell you about this is that the chef behind it is Gwyneth Paltrow. Yep, that same Gwyneth Paltrow that I loved so much in Shakespeare in Love, and even more when she guest-starred on Glee. (Glee, please bring her back? I’m a little worried about you this season, and she could help.) Anyway, she has a new cookbook called MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER, and a nice blog with a cooking section, and Bon Appetit did a feature on her that included this recipe.
And since I have inexplicably developed this late-in-life fascination with anchovies, I gave it a try. And it ROCKED. Sweet, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes mixed up with a salty, crunchy mixture of toasted bread crumbs and herbs, all tossed with linguine…this recipe has already made repeat appearances on my table. I love it, the Southern husband loves it, and the teenager is down at Clemson happily eating microwaved macaroni and cheese and not having to deal with me crushing on anchovies. It’s a win-win-win situation, and I owe it all to Gwyneth.
Life is a constant series of surprises!
Roasted Tomato and Anchovy Oreganata Pasta
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop and Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, divided
- 9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- Large pinch dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 16 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Small handful fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 and place 2 cups tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil on top and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt. Roast for 3-4 hours and set aside.
- Increase oven temperature to 400°. Put a fresh set of foil on the baking sheet. Place breadcrumbs and herbs in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper and stir another tablespoon of oil into the crumbs.
- Lay the anchovies in a single layer on the foil-lined sheet. Evenly pack breadcrumb mixture over the anchovies and drizzle with another tablespoon of oil. Bake until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions, saving one cup of water out of the pot before you drain it.
- While the pasta is cooking, put the remaining 2 cups of tomatoes in a large bowl and break them up with your hands (now is a good time to be wearing an apron – this is splattery work!
- Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook until they are slightly thickened, about 6-7 minutes. Add roasted tomatoes.
- Add drained spaghetti to skillet and toss to coat. Add just enough pasta water to make a light sauce. Remove from heat, stir in basil and drizzle with the rest of the oil. Divide the pasta among warmed plates and sprinkle the oreganata mixture on top.
Hi there! I’m Kate, and I’m a recipe writer, food photographer and devoted bacon lover. I started Framed Cooks in 2009, and my mission is to create and share family-friendly recipes that make cooking both easy and fun…yes, I said FUN! My kitchen is my happy place, and I want yours to be that place too. And if you make this recipe, I would love you to tag @FramedCooks on Instagram so I can see the deliciousness!
I remember that feature! I was dubious about Gwyneth's ability to put a recipe together but I think this proves she's not as culinarily disinclined as I thought!
Oh you almost had me convinced…until you said anchovies!
Don't let the anchovies scare you – I was an anchovy skeptic too until I tried this! Promise!