066 / 75 · Cupboard to Table

Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Pasta with Caper Crumbs

2 pasta bowls · Active 30 min · Total 40 min

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A small jar of sun-dried tomatoes can season a whole pasta supper without a blender or a refrigerator full of vegetables. Chop the tomatoes and walnuts finely enough to cling to the twists, then finish with capers, lemon and crisp crumbs. The crumbs are cooked before the pasta, so one burner is sufficient. This is especially useful near the end of a shopping interval, when the cupboard has more to offer than the produce drawer.

Jump to ingredients

Spiral pasta with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts and crisp caper crumbs.

A knife makes the sauce

Use tender oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained before weighing. Dry tomatoes sold in bags need soaking and are not a direct exchange here. Chop the drained pieces into small strips, then run the knife through the walnuts so some become fine crumbs and some remain small fragments. Those different sizes give the pasta texture without asking a compact kitchen to store a food processor. The tomatoes already bring salt and concentrated flavor. All the measured capers go into the crumb topping, so taste the assembled cooked dish before adding any extra seasoning.

Crumbs first, pasta second

Toast the breadcrumbs in the skillet while the burner is free, then move them to a dry bowl. They should stay separate until serving; stirring them into the pan sauce turns the crisp topping into a thickener. Boil the pasta next and save a little of its cloudy water before draining. The same burner can then warm the tomato mixture. Have a stable heatproof place ready for the drained pasta pot so neither pan needs to balance on a sink edge or an unlit stove cover.

Make a coating rather than a puddle

The measured pasta water loosens the chopped tomatoes and walnut pieces just enough to spread them through the twists. Add it in two stages, stopping when the pasta looks lightly glossy. There should not be a pool in the bowl. Lemon and parsley go in at the end, followed by the reserved caper crumbs on each portion. Close the tomato and caper jars with clean utensils and follow their opened-storage instructions; ingredients that were shelf-stable before opening may need refrigerator space afterward.

Ingredients

  • Scant 1/4 cup dry plain breadcrumbs (20 g)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml), divided
  • 6 oz short dried pasta such as fusilli (170 g)
  • 3 1/3 cups drinking-quality water for cooking the pasta (800 ml), plus more if needed to keep it submerged
  • 1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (50 g)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped (40 g)
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped (3 g)
  • 1 tablespoon drained capers, patted dry and chopped (15 g)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (15 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (8 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.5 g)

Set out

At least 2.5-liter (2.6-quart) saucepan, 9–10-inch (23–25 cm) skillet, Colander, Heatproof measuring cup, Knife and board, Dry bowl for the crumbs, Tongs or two serving spoons

Allergens

Wheat, Walnuts (tree nuts); check breadcrumbs and pasta for egg, milk or other listed allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of the oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the dried chopped capers and stir for 1 minute, then add breadcrumbs and stir for 2–3 minutes until evenly golden, watching closely. Transfer to the dry bowl and keep the topping out of the pasta pan.
  2. Bring the 800 ml cooking water to a boil in the saucepan. Add pasta, stir frequently during the first minute and cook for its full package time until tender. Add more boiling drinking water if needed to keep the pasta submerged. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking water in the heatproof cup, then drain. Cover the pasta pot off the heat while finishing the sauce; do not leave it standing for an extended period.
  3. Return the skillet to the burner with the remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil. Add tomatoes, walnuts and garlic and stir over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant without browning the garlic.
  4. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) reserved cooking water. Toss for 1 minute. Add up to the remaining 2 tablespoons water only if the pasta needs loosening. Remove from the heat and fold in lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and scatter each with half the caper crumbs. Serve promptly.

Put the jar away before traveling

After measuring, wipe the rims and close the jars securely. Keep opened ingredients refrigerated when their labels require it, and secure glass containers before moving the vehicle.

A useful detail

Use plain breadcrumbs rather than salted seasoned crumbs. The pasta water is reserved from this same cooking session and used immediately; discard any unused remainder.

Another way

  • For a different nut flavor, use finely chopped hazelnuts at the same weight; the tree-nut allergen remains.
  • Replace parsley with 1 tablespoon (4 g) thinly sliced basil, folding it in off the heat.

Keep it well

Refrigerate any cooked remainder in a shallow container within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Keep crumbs separate if possible and use within 3 days. Reheat the pasta once until it reaches 165°F/74°C throughout, adding a spoonful of fresh water. Follow the shorter opened-storage limits on the tomato and caper jars.