Description
A quick and indulgent weeknight pasta featuring wavy mafaldine noodles, creamy stracciatella cheese, sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, and a spicy, crunchy chili crisp and pine nut topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces mafaldine pasta
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1/3 cup chili crisp (such as Lao Gan Ma)
- 8 ounces stracciatella cheese (or burrata, torn)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15–20 minutes until blistered and softened.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the mafaldine according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring often, until golden, about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the chili crisp and remove from heat.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the chili crisp mixture. Toss to coat, adding pasta water a little at a time if needed to loosen the sauce. Gently fold in the roasted tomatoes and half the stracciatella.
- Serve the pasta in bowls. Top with remaining stracciatella, torn basil, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Finish with extra chili crisp if desired.
Notes
Stracciatella can be substituted with burrata or fresh mozzarella. For less heat, reduce the chili crisp to 1/4 cup. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; reheat gently.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Method: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian-American / Fusion
Nutrition
- Calories: 620 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fat: 32 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Protein: 18 g