Whole Grain Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes & Pecorino Romano Recipe

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Pecorino Romano

I’ve seen other pasta dishes that are similar to this one, with thinly sliced caramelized onions intertwined with spaghetti. It’s almost as if they’re in camouflage, their lithe lankiness assimilating amongst the pasta.  My husband, alas, is no fan of onions so I usually end up choosing recipes where they’re not too prominent. But then I thought about that Jessica Seinfeld cookbook where she hides butternut squash in mac & cheese so the kids won’t know they’re eating vegetables. This recipe sounded so enticing and the onions had a rather stealth presence…perhaps my better half would enjoy the dish so much he wouldn’t mind?

Ha ha – it worked!

He cleaned his plate. And because I can never really keep a secret, I did let him know beforehand there were onions but urged him to give it a chance nonetheless. He thought it was delicious, as did I.

The “sauce” in this pasta is more like a savory, thyme-scented broth. In the recipe, the aromatics are sautéed and then you add water and the tomatoes and bring it all to a simmer. I added slivered garlic to the mix as pasta, to me, deserves garlic. For the most part the tomatoes remained intact, bursting just slightly. But, of course, most of them succumbed to the wrath of my silicone tongs once I went to toss the sauce with the pasta and pecorino romano.

Each flavor in this dish complemented the others so well, from the gentle sweetness of the onions and tomatoes to the nuttiness of the pasta to the salty bite of the hard cheese. It’s definitely one worth trying – for onion lovers and haters alike.

Whole Grain Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes and Pecorino Romano

 


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11 Comments

  1. Arlene wrote:

    My SO loves onions, but hates tomatos, though I can’t keep ketchup in the house and he loves tomato sauce…go figure. If I put 2 cherry tomatos in his salad, they’re on the side of the plate when he’s done. Men! Love the new blog.

    Arlene’s last blog post..LASAGNA OF EMILIA-ROMAGNA

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  2. kellypea wrote:

    Well I love pasta, period. This sounds fabulous. I’m in awe that you’ve begun a second cooking blog. One is quite a bit of work. Congrats to you —

    kellypea’s last blog post..Spinach Lasagne with Ragu alla Bolognese

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  3. Ashley wrote:

    I love your idea for this blog! And I am so glad you did this post, because my husband hates onions, so I am totally going to try this one out on him! Looks delicious.

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  4. Col wrote:

    Hi Kathy,

    Huh, funny. My husband doesn’t much like onions either! 😉 Great blog, love the idea! (Btw, my mom never put nuts in her Tollhouse cookies. I still like them better without, too.)

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  5. Fresh, fresh dish! Oh yes, this looks good.

    The Duo Dishes’s last blog post..Going Nuts in the Kitchen

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  6. Kathy, what a great idea for a blog! I love this. (I have no idea how you have time for it, but I love it! lol). I have a few boxes in my pantry that I stare at EVERY time I go in thinking, hmmm some day I need to try the recipe on that box… I’m excited to see what shows up here. Congrats on a fun new project!

    -Sara

    Sara @ Our Best Bites’s last blog post..Pizzookies

    Posted 3.27.09 Reply
  7. RecipeGirl wrote:

    Yay! Love the concept of the new blog! Someone told me once that the recipes on the sides of boxes are the best. Since they want you to buy the product again, they really have to be the best! This one looks like a great one! Now, you’ll be looking at recipes on the packaging when you go shopping!

    RecipeGirl’s last blog post..How to Make Dulce de Leche (a really easy oven-method)…

    Posted 3.28.09 Reply
  8. Cheri wrote:

    Great idea for a blog. This dish looks wonderful!

    Cheri’s last blog post..Tomato Goat Cheese Tart

    Posted 3.30.09 Reply
  9. Nicole wrote:

    I am officially starving now! Thanks! And very little to eat in the house. I can’t believe all these recipes are on the boxes. They look sooooo good!

    Nicole’s last blog post..Caramel Rolls- A breakfast treat, dessert or indulgent snack

    Posted 4.5.09 Reply
  10. Kara wrote:

    I’ve seen this recipe before but never knew it’d be so delicious or beautiful! Once I get some fresh tomatoes in the house, this will be on our plates!

    Kara’s last blog post..The Long and Short of It

    Posted 4.9.09 Reply
  11. Screendoorgirl3 wrote:

    Looks great! I can’t wait to try it tonight as I have everything I need at home. You must be like me –you can’t pass up a farm stand. That’s why I have the cherry tomatoes.. Thanks.

    Posted 9.26.12 Reply