an unlikely source of inspiration

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon this recipe in--of all places--Cosmopolitan. (Yeah, I read Cosmo. No judgment!) It's actually a reprint from Giada De Laurentiis's new cookbook, Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California, and it is surprisingly delicious. I found a prepackaged assortment of cherry tomatoes at my local market, which added a colorful twist to the dish.

Pasta Pronza
recipe courtesy of Cosmopolitan, April 2010
reprinted from Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis 

Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, for greasing
2 cups halved red cherry tomatoes
2 cups halved yellow cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs (I substituted plain bread crumbs)
1 pound ziti
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves 

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish.

Combine tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt, and pepper in prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mixture. Drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender but firm, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the water. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture on top. Add the cheese, and toss well. If needed, thin the sauce with a little of the reserved water. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.