Baked Rigatoni With Tomatoes, Olives and Pepper
 Martha Rose Shulman
The New York Times Cooking

Yield:6 servings

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, whole or diced, with juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling baking dish
1 large sweet yellow pepper, cut in ½-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
⅛ tsp. sugar
Salt
⅓ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Black pepper
2 Tbsp. slivered fresh basil (optional)
1 pound rigatoni
3 oz. Gruyère, grated (¾ cup)
1 oz. Parmesan, grated (¼ cup)

Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor to a coarse purée. Put a large pot of water on to boil. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and add yellow pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste, and turn up heat to medium-high. When tomatoes begin to bubble briskly and sputter, turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant, thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Add olives, black pepper and basil, stir together, taste and adjust seasoning. Heat oven to 350o. Oil a 2½-to 3-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil. When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add rigatoni. Cook al dente, removing from the water 1 minute sooner than indicated in the package instructions. (Reserve some of the cooking water.) Transfer pasta to a large bowl. If the tomato sauce seems very thick, thin out as desired with 2 - 4 Tbsp. pasta cooking water. Scrape into bowl with pasta, add cheeses and toss well. Scrape into prepared baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil over the top. Cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown in spots. Serve hot.

Tip: Dish can be assembled a day in advance. Add 5 to 10 minutes baking time if transferring directly from refrigerator to oven.

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