This Mediterranean cherry tomato confit pasta salad is my go-to summer dish when tomatoes are sweet, juicy, and overflowing in my kitchen.
INGREDIENTS
- 26 oz cherry tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 17 oz pasta
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- ½ cup basil leaves, sliced
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, optional
- salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 265°F / 160°F
- Tomato confit: Place 17oz / 500g of the cherry tomatoes into an oven proof dish along with the garlic. Cover with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Bake for 1 hour or until the garlic is golden and caramelised and the tomatoes are jammy. Seperate the oil from the cherry tomatoes and garlic.
- Dressing: Add the oil the tomatoes and garlic were cooked in, into a glass jar with a lid. Mash the anchovy fillets and garlic cloves with the back of a knife until a paste forms. Add the garlic, anchovy, mustard, honey, lemon juice and a big pinch of salt and pepper to the jar with the oil. Screw the lid on the jar and shake until the dressing is emulsified.
- Boil pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Follow the instructions on the back of the pasta packet for al dente pasta. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Assemble salad: Slice the remaining cherry tomatoes in half. Add the pasta, cherry tomato confit, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onion and basil to a large bowl. Drizzle over 3 - 4 tablespoons of the dressing and mix well. Finish off with a sprinkling of chilli flakes, if using.
