Trail of Crumbs: Penne With Popped Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Onions

Happy Halloween!  I'm terribly excited to see all the little ghosts and goblins out tonight.  We're still trying to work out the details about how we're going to trick or treat and hand out candy.   How do you do it?

Then again, we're completely unprepared for what this new neighborhood will bring in terms of trick or treaters anyway.  One neighbor told us they get lots of trick or treaters.  The other said it varies from year to year.  So we'll see.

In the meantime, I leave you with the final recipe from Trail of Crumbs.  One last midnight pasta.  This one, with the dark tapenade and charred tomatoes.  Seems fitting for a dark and spooky night.

Penne with Popped Tomatoes, Anchovies, and Onions (from Trail of Crumbs)

1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil

1 pint ripe cherry or grape tomatoes

salt and pepper

pinch of sugar

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped

hot red pepper flakes

4 to 5 anchovy filets

1 tsp black olive tapenade

1/2 lb penne

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add tomatoes and cook, tossing often, about 10 minutes.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.
2.  Uncover, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
3. Add onion, toss, and cook about 2 minutes.
4. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, anchovies, and olives.  Lower heat.
5. Cook penne in salted boiling water just until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup pasta water.
6. Add reserved pasta to skillet with tomatoes.  Toss in pasta and heat about 1 minute, adding some of reserved pasta water if too dry.  Toss to combine.