Spaghetti with heirloom tomatoes, basil, and bottarga breadcrumbs
- 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ sprig rosemary
- 2 chiles de árbol, crumbled with your hands
- 2 cups sliced red onion
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- ¼ cup sliced garlic
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 pounds very ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sliced basil
- ¼ cup sliced flat-leaf parsley
- Small chunk bottarga di tonno, shaved or thinly sliced to equal ½ to ½ cup
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
I like to cook the noodles in the sauce for at least a few minutes. The pasta gets nicely glazed and coated with the sauce and the flavors have a chance to meld.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Put a large pot of heavily salted water on to boil over high heat.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons olive oil, spread them on a baking sheet, and toast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown.
- Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and add the rosemary and crumbled chiles. Let them sizzle in the oil a minute or so, and then add the sliced onion and thyme. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Turn the heat down to medium, and cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic, and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent and starting to color slightly.
- Drop the pasta in the boiling water.
- Turn the heat under the onions back up to high, and add the tomatoes to the pan with 1 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir the tomatoes often, and cook about 8 minutes, until their juices are released and start to reduce.
- When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the tomatoes. Toss well, add the butter, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, to reduce the juices so they coat the noodles well. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and taste. Add the basil, parsley, and half the bottarga to the pan, and toss to combine. Transfer to a large warm pasta bowl or platter. Shower the breadcrumbs over the pasta, and scatter the remaining bottarga shavings on top.