Chef notes
This dish is a summer celebration of fresh tomatoes that immediately transports you to Naples. It's super simple and delicious. The orange zest brings a sunny brightness.
Technique tip: Peeling your own heirloom tomatoes is easy and well worth the extra work; mark with an X on the bottom, submerge in boiling water for 10 seconds, remove into an ice bath and the skin will peel easily.
Swap option: Feel free to use high-quality canned tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 7 ounces (almost 1 cup) olive oil, divided
- 1 cup capers, soaked in red wine vinegar
- 1 head garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 30 anchovy fillets (2-3 tins)
- 20 heirloom tomatoes, blanched, peeled and squished
- 1 cup pitted, torn Taggiasca olives
- 1 tablespoon wild oregano, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnish
Preparation
1.In a wide, shallow pan, heat 5 ounces of oil. Bloom capers until nicely fried and open (this takes longer than you’d think!).
2.Add garlic, red pepper flakes and anchovies. When garlic is ready to turn brown, add prepped tomatoes. Cook 2+ hours, until nicely reduced.
3.After about an hour, add torn olives and continue to cook.
4.Separately, drop pasta in boiling salty water. Place sauce in a pan to get warm or, better yet, leave it in the pot you cooked it in!
5.Cook pasta for 10 minutes (or about 1 to 2 minutes less than the box directs), reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Remove and toss in a pan with sauce and the pasta water. Add remaining 2 ounces of olive oil and continue to stir until the spaghetti takes on a pinkish color.
6.Taste and season, plate and garnish with wild oregano and orange zest.
