Penne Pasta with Tomatoes & Chile

The sauce never touches a stove. Sun-dried tomatoes, crushed dried chile, oil-cured black olives, fresh basil, Italian parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil sit together at room temperature for a couple of hours, letting every ingredient release its flavor into the oil. Then it gets tossed with hot penne and a generous ¾ pound of grated Parmesan.

Four tablespoons of crushed dried chile is a serious amount. This is not a mild dish. The heat builds in the room-temperature oil infusion and hits hard when it coats the hot pasta. Dial it back to 2 tablespoons if you want warmth without fire.

The sun-dried tomatoes bring concentrated, almost meaty sweetness, while the oil-cured olives add a briny, slightly bitter counterpoint. Lemon zest cuts through all that richness with bright citrus that you taste but can’t quite identify in the finished dish.

Two hours of resting time is the minimum. The garlic mellows, the chile infuses the oil, and the tomatoes soften. Rush this step and you’ll have a pile of toppings on pasta instead of a unified sauce.

Chef Tips

• Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. The oil from the jar goes into the sauce for extra depth.
• Reserve some of the tomato oil to drizzle over individual servings.
• Cook the penne to true al dente. The pasta should have a firm bite since the room-temperature sauce won’t soften it further.
• Toss aggressively in a warm bowl. The Parmesan needs heat from the pasta to melt and bind the sauce.

Variations

• Goat cheese version: Replace half the Parmesan with crumbled goat cheese for a tangier, creamier finish.
• Add capers: Stir in 2 tablespoons of capers for an extra briny punch.
• Arugula toss: Add 2 cups of fresh arugula when tossing. The hot pasta wilts it just enough.