A Jekyll & Hyde Side (in The Idiot's Guide to Cooking)

As a new cook, I find the toughest part of getting a good meal on the table is the timing. If things are going well, I am the good wife (ie, Mrs. Hyde) who happily prepares a meal for me and my husband. If things aren’t going well, out comes the cursing and yelling (ie, Dr. Jekyll).

Thank goodness there is a pasta dish to match my varying chef personalities. This dish has a built-in split personality, so if the timing is right serve it piping hot. If not, no need to panic. Throw it in the fridge and enjoy a delicious and light pasta salad. It’s “spook” tacular. It’s the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of cooking.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta (Pasta Salad/Pasta Side)

Ingredients for Both

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound pasta (eg, rigatoni or penne) cooked according to the package directions
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta

Jekyll’s Pasta Salad Recipe (Served Cold)

Preheat oven to 425º F.

Boil water and cook pasta to package instructions. When cooked, set aside to cool.

Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Scatter the thyme on top. Place in the oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Set aside to cool.

Combine cooled pasta, cooled tomatoes, remaining pepper and fresh ricotta in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with thyme and a dollop of ricotta. If you have time and want it really cool, put it in the fridge.

Hyde’s Pasta Side Recipe (Served Hot)

Preheat oven to 425º F.

Boil water and cook pasta to package instructions.

Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Scatter the thyme on top. Place in oven and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.

Combine pasta, tomatoes, remaining pepper and fresh ricotta in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with thyme and a dollop of ricotta.

Bon Appétit!

About the Author

Jamie Rogers comes from a mixed pedigree of chefs. She prefers describing her culinary prowess as "efficient" rather than "lazy." Her loves include Crawdaddy’s Mustard Fried Catfish, The Drafting Room’s Cream of Wild Mushroom soup, and a Popsicle on a hot summer day.

More About Jamie Rogers...

1 Comment So Far

Bob Del Grosso – Oct 22, 2007

Cherry tomatoes are great but they have a flaw that makes them tough to cook. Because their seeds are the the same size as most large tomatoes, when they cook down you end up with an end product that seems too “seedy.”

That’s why they are almost always better raw or seeded before cooking. But seeding comes with a price. When you take out the seeds you also remove a lot of that jelly-like placental stuff which is loaded with flavorful (umami taste) amino acids. The work around is to squeeze the guts of the tomato into a strainer, push the jelly through into a bowl, chuck the seeds and put the jelly into the sauce.

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The Idiot's Guide to Cooking