Baked Rigatoni With Tomatoes, Olives and Pepper

By andrea_turnowski

Ingredients

• 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, whole or diced, with juice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling baking dish
• 1 large sweet yellow pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil (optional)
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 3 ounces Gruyère, grated (3/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor to a coarse purée. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add yellow pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.

Add tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste, and turn up heat to medium-high. When tomatoes begin to bubble briskly and sputter, turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant, thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Add olives, black pepper and basil, stir together, taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil.

When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add rigatoni. Cook al dente, removing from the water 1 minute sooner than indicated in the package instructions. (Reserve some of the cooking water.) Transfer pasta to a large bowl.

If the tomato sauce seems very thick, thin out as desired with 2 to 4 tablespoons pasta cooking water. Scrape into bowl with pasta, add cheeses and toss well. Scrape into prepared baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Cover with foil.

Bake 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown in spots. Serve hot.