Triple Garlic Pasta With Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Breadcrumbs Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 09, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A flavor-packed pasta dish made with oven-dried tomatoes, garlic, olives, and crispy seasoned breadcrumbs.

Recipe Details

Triple Garlic Pasta With Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Olives, and Breadcrumbs Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 quart cherry or plum tomatoes, split in half

  • 10 cloves garlic (4 thinly sliced, 2 minced, 2 smashed), divided

  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2 slices hearty white bread, roughly torn

  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

  • 1 pound penne, ziti, rigatoni, or other thick tubular pasta

  • 1 cup sliced pitted kalamata or other olives

  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion whites and pale greens

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 300°F. Place tomatoes, cut-side up, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Scatter sliced garlic cloves and thyme sprigs evenly over tomatoes. Season with salt. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and place in oven. Cook, rotating occasionally, until tomatoes are shriveled and half dried, and garlic is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs.

  2. Meanwhile, combine bread and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Season with salt and process until broken into fine crumbs, about 10 seconds. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add breadcrumbs and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until pale golden brown and starting to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue tossing until golden brown and completely crisp, a few minutes longer. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Stir in chopped parsley and set aside.

  3. Wipe out skillet, add remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil and 2 smashed garlic cloves, and place over medium-low heat. Cook, flipping garlic occasionally, until garlic is tender and pale golden brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer garlic to a cutting board, allow to cool, and finely mince. Return garlic to skillet.

  4. Add tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano to skillet with garlic oil and cook, stirring with a whisk, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add white wine, whisk to combine, and simmer until reduced and saucy, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

  5. When tomatoes are cooked, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.

  6. Add cooked pasta to skillet with tomato paste/white wine mixture. Add dried tomatoes/garlic. Add olives, scallions, and pasta cooking liquid. Cook over high heat, tossing and stirring constantly, until sauce evenly coats all of the pasta. Add half of breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs, and serve immediately.

Special equipment

Food processor

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
789Calories
26gFat
114gCarbs
21gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories789
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g34%
Saturated Fat 4g19%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 492mg21%
Total Carbohydrate 114g41%
Dietary Fiber 9g31%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 22mg112%
Calcium 81mg6%
Iron 6mg34%
Potassium 509mg11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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