Preserved-Tomato
Paccheri
ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 6 HR.
SERVES 6For her unconventional
tomato sauce, Brooklyn chef
Missy Robbins marinates
canned tomatoes in a mix of
garlic, spices, citrus, and
warm olive oil. The result is a
supple coating for wide,
tubular paccheri pasta that
she serves al dente.4 28-oz. cans whole San
Marzano tomatoes,
drained, halved
lengthwise, and seeded
4 1 / 2 tsp. sugar
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. extra-
virgin olive oil
7 garlic cloves, 2 crushed
and 5 thinly sliced
Wide strips of zest from
2 small lemons plus 1
tsp. finely grated zest
Wide strips of zest from
1 small orange
2 basil sprigs
2 marjoram sprigs plus
2 tsp. marjoram leaves
1 1 /^2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lb. paccheri or other
wide, tubular pasta(^1) / (^4) cup freshly grated
Pecorino Romano
cheese, for garnish
- Put tomato halves in a
colander set over a bowl.
Sprinkle with sugar and 4^1 / 2
teaspoons kosher salt and
toss gently. Let stand at room
temperature for 2 hours. - Meanwhile, in a small
skillet, toast fennel and corian-
der seeds over moderately low
heat, shaking pan, until very
fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Transfer seeds to a spice
grinder or mortar and let cool
slightly, then coarsely grind. - In a small saucepan,
combine 2 cups olive oil,
ground seeds, crushed garlic,
lemon and orange zest strips,
and basil and marjoram
sprigs. Warm over low heat
until oil begins to bubble,
about 7 minutes. Transfer
drained tomatoes to a deep
ceramic baking dish and pour
warm oil over them. Let stand
at room temperature for
about 3 hours.- Using a slotted spoon,
transfer preserved tomatoes
to a bowl. (Reserve oil for
another use.) Using your
hands or a metal spoon,
coarsely crush them; you
should have 3 cups. - In a large skillet, warm the
remaining 3 tablespoons olive
oil over moderate heat. Add
sliced garlic and cook, stirring,
until fragrant but not browned,
about 2 minutes. Add crushed
tomatoes and crushed red
pepper and cook until toma-
toes are warmed through,
about 2 minutes; keep sauce
warm over low heat. - In a pot of salted boiling
water, cook paccheri until
al dente. Drain well. Add to
skillet and stir to coat. Stir
in grated lemon zest and
marjoram leaves. Transfer
paccheri to a bowl, garnish
with cheese. —MISSY ROBBINS
MAKE AHEAD The tomatoes
can be refrigerated in the oil
for up to 4 days.
WINE Bright, juicy Barbera:
2013 La Miraja Le Masche
Barbera d’Asti Superiore.
GO STIR CRAZY
Food writer and chef
Andrew Zimmern says to
stir pasta and stir soon.
When the pasta goes into
the large volume of salted
boiling water, immedi-
ately, the starches on the
exterior of the pasta
swell with water. When
those starches burst, the
pasta becomes sticky.
As you cook, the starches
will be absorbed into the
cooking water and
essentially wash away,
and the noodles cook
uniformly. But during
those first few minutes is
when that sticky glue is
being produced, and
that’s when you need to
stir. If you don’t, the pasta
pieces can stick together,
and you can end up with
a big mess on your hands.