Inspiration: From the end of August to the beginning of September, my husband’s tomato growing efforts reached fruition, and we possessed a veritable ton of cherry tomatoes! At about the same time, I purchased Cook’s Illustrated Magazine No. 184 (aka Sept/Nov 2023), which contained a bunch of great tomato based recipes — including Pasta With Burst Tomato Sauce.

And let me tell you, it’s outstanding! Even better, it’s easy to make.

The above video is the American Test Kitchen video demonstration of the recipe. BTW: The magazine didn’t have the panko topping.

Slightly trepidatious, as I’ve never used anchovies before, I set about making the dish…And due to my stupid, stupid allergies, I needed to eschew the garlic. But it turns out the anchovy fillets added more than enough flavor! (Without making it taste fishy.) I also increased the pepper flakes to a healthy teaspoon, as anything less, you get little if any, heat. I also switched the flakes from generic red pepper to gochugaru, which I prefer.

Then, watching the video, I realized I didn’t make the dish the way the recipe’s author intended…Rather than keeping them whole, I chopped the cherry tomatoes in half and had them as a single layer across a large shallow pot, which made a great creamy sauce without the whole cherry tomatoes. This unintentional goof worked out, as my husband likes tomatoes when manipulated in a dish, but not generally as a whole fruit.

A Bit of Household Controversy: In the pic above, I’ve used Fusilli Lunghi Col Buco noodles — they’re fun and I love the texture they add to the dish. My husband sides with Cook’s Illustrated and thinks a shorter pasta is best…So now, as a compromise, I prepare two separate pastas!

In any case, give this recipe a whirl. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Christie: I can see Poirot or Mr. Satterthwaite tucking into this dish and eating it with relish as it possesses an elegant simplicity…Provided it was plated in a refined style!

My 52 Weeks With Christie: A.Miner©2023