Blistered Tomato Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (Tossed with oil and seasonings before broiling)
• 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Divided as needed for the tomatoes and pasta)
• 4 cloves garlic (Finely chopped or minced)
• 1 tsp dried oregano (Estimated seasoning for the tomatoes)
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (Estimated; adjust to taste)
• 1 lb orecchiette (Dried pasta)
• kosher salt (For the pasta water and seasoning, to taste)
• 1.5 cup reserved pasta cooking water (Use as needed to loosen and form the sauce)
• 1 cup fresh basil (Chopped)
• 0.75 cup Parmesan cheese (Finely grated)
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella (Cut into ¼-inch chunks; use mozzarella pearls, or perlini, without cutting if available)
• black pepper (Freshly ground, to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Use a broiler-safe, rimmed baking sheet; do not use nonstick bakeware or cookware unless it is specifically rated for broiler use.

2. 2

   Toss the cherry or grape tomatoes with the olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper on the baking sheet. Spread them in a single layer so they blister rather than steam.

3. 3

   Broil the tomatoes until their skins blister and split, they soften, and their juices begin to caramelize, turning or stirring once if needed, about 5 to 8 minutes. Watch closely because broilers vary.

4. 4

   While the tomatoes broil, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to the package directions until al dente, stirring occasionally so the pasta does not stick.

5. 5

   Reserve about 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the orecchiette. Do not rinse the pasta; the surface starch helps emulsify the sauce.

6. 6

   Transfer the hot pasta to the baking sheet or a large pot with the blistered tomatoes and their juices. Add enough reserved pasta water to loosen the juices into a glossy sauce, scraping up any browned tomato bits from the pan.

7. 7

   Add the chopped basil and grated Parmesan. Toss thoroughly so the cheese, tomato juices, olive oil, and pasta water coat the orecchiette evenly.

8. 8

   Add the fresh mozzarella chunks or drained mozzarella pearls. Stir gently over low heat or in the still-warm pot for a few minutes, just until the mozzarella is warmed and beginning to soften without completely melting.

9. 9

   Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, olive oil, or red pepper flakes. Serve immediately while the tomatoes are juicy and the mozzarella is pleasantly soft and only partially melted.

Notes

The source emphasizes using a broiler-safe baking sheet because most nonstick bakeware and cookware is not safe under a broiler. If using mozzarella pearls (perlini), drain them and add them whole; they do not need to be cut. The quantities and detailed method were reconstructed because the accessible page excerpt indicates that the full member-only recipe was unavailable.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian-inspired
• vegetarian
• summer
• broiled
• quick sauce
• caprese-inspired