Cookbook Club – America’s Test Kitchen, Cook’s Illustrated

For February’s Cookbook Club, people were able to choose recipes from the America’s Test Kitchen website and cookbook and the affiliated Cook’s Illustrated magazine and cookbook. To see what we selected from the thousands of recipe options, go to my cookbook club site. For now – my dish!

There are a limited number of recipes that you can view for free on https://www.americastestkitchen.com, but I very quickly came across one that sounded fantastic – Pasta with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce and Fried Caper Crumbs. I went with it, saving me from the daunting task of sifting through the multitude of other recipes available in the cookbooks.

I cooked capers and minced anchovy in olive oil over medium heat until the capers darkened and shrank, then set aside.

In the remaining oil I cooked panko, salt, and pepper until the panko turned golden. I transferred to a bowl and stirred in parsley, lemon zest, and the caper mixture.

I boiled penne rigate to al dente, drained, and set aside.

I cooked olive oil, thinly sliced garlic, and minced anchovies until the anchovies broke down.

I stirred in cherry tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. I covered, increased the heat to medium-high, and cooked without stirring for 10 minutes.

I gently stirred the pasta, tomato mixture, and butter together.

I added basil and salt to taste.

The caper panko topping was added to each individual serving so it maintained its crunch. This was definitely a keeper recipe that I will make again!