A simple pasta dish that is bursting with so much flavor: sweetness from the cherry tomatoes, garlicky, herby and a delicious tang from the briny capers. My new favorite pasta dish! I will be making this on repeat this spring and summer season. Feel free to serve with a side of grilled salmon or grilled branzino fish. I have a lot of vibrant and fun new recipes coming your way this season!
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Cherry Tomato and Caper Spaghetti
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 3 & 1/2 tablespoons capers finely chopped
- 2 large shallots finely chopped
- 5 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 tsp red crushed pepper adjust spice level according to your liking
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- 3/4 cup pasta water I start with 1/2 cup and then add more if it needs it at the end. It is always good to reserve extra pasta water just in case.
- 9 ounces spaghetti
- 2 lemon slices finely chopped
Instructions
- Boil the spaghetti 1 minute shy from al-dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium non-stick pan on medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallots, garlic and red crushed pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until they’re golden. Note: We are not frying the shallots and garlic, but rather looking to melt everything together until translucent. This may take up to 5-6 minutes. See recipe video for reference.
- Now, add the finely chopped capers, cherry tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to coat the tomatoes in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook until the tomatoes are jammy. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the pasta to the pan along with about 3/4 cup of pasta water.
- Cook the pasta, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Now, add the chopped parsley, parmesan, chopped lemon and toss to coat, adding a little bit of pasta water if you think it needs it. Taste and add additional seasonings to your liking. I sometimes squeeze a little bit of lemon juice at the end, drizzle some olive oil and top with a lot of parmesan! Enjoy!
Notes
Tip:
- If you like an extra garlicky flavor, add 1 large minced garlic to the pasta right at the end and then stir.
- Always taste and season as you go.
- If you are not a fan of capers, replace with green olives or kalamata olives. Olives will work great in this recipe.
- As always, adjust the ingredients according to your preference.
