Just as sure as the wind's gonna blow now...

At first glance, this seems like a typical tomato pasta sauce but three things make it anything but: the smoky char on the tomatoes, the kick from the Aleppo pepper, and the sweet-sour note of the pomegranate molasses. This handful of ingredients combines for a lot of intriguing flavor. Aleppo pepper comes from the Eastern Mediterranean and has a flavor slightly reminiscent of Ancho chiles. If Aleppo pepper is unavailable in you area use Ancho chile powder or a mixture of 3 parts paprika and 1 part cayenne instead. Start with 1/2 tsp and add more as desired. Pomegranate molasses is a sweet-tart reduction of pomegranate juice and is a highly versatile ingredient worth exploring.  Because you’re using a sweet-tart syrup to up the sweet-tartness of the tomatoes, be sure to taste your tomatoes before cooking. If they are on the sour side, you may need to add a pinch of sugar to the sauce. If they’re overly sweet, you might want to add a dash more pomegranate molasses. This is a beautifully bright and different pasta dish, excellent for summer. 

8 ounces spaghetti

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 cloves garlic, sliced 

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

1 pound whole cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and thoroughly dried

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 

1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1 handful fresh basil or Italian parsley leaves, thinly sliced (I used both)

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a heavy-bottomed large skillet over high heat until wisps of smoke come off the pan. Add garlic, Aleppo pepper, and thyme, and cook for a few seconds until just fragrant. Add tomatoes, stir to coat in oil, then cook, swirling occasionally, until tomatoes charred and about to burst, about 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, add drained pasta, pomegranate molasses, 1/4 cup of the pasta water, stir to coat, taste, and add salt or sugar as desired. Add remaining pasta water, as needed, so that the sauce delicately coats each strand of pasta.

Stir in remaining 1 tbsp of the oil, walnuts, and basil or parsley and toss to coat the pasta. Taste, add more salt and Aleppo pepper as desired and serve immediately.

Until tomorrow...Peace.