WHICH TAKES "I" BEFORE "E" TO THE EXTREME:

Pasta's Dark Side: By toasting pasta before cooking it, you can add a lot of flavor. (ADAM RIED, October 19, 2008, Boston Globe)

Dried pasta is so simple, so perfect, that you wouldn't imagine much could be done to improve it. Yet in Spain, Mexico, the Middle East, and even parts of Italy, cooks toast dry pasta before cooking it in liquid to intensify its flavor, accentuating the taste of the grain from which it is made. [...]

SOPA SECA DE FIDEOS CON CHILI CHIPOTLE
SERVES 6

If need be, substitute Parmesan or Romano cheese for queso anejo.

5 large, ripe tomatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds), cored, halved, and seeded
1 large onion, cut into 4 or 6 wedges
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 chipotle chilies in adobo, or more, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Salt
2 1/2 cups homemade or packaged low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 pound fideos, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, toasted
1 pound fresh spinach or Swiss chard, stemmed and roughly chopped
3/4 cup grated queso anejo cheese, plus extra to pass at table
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced, for garnish
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges, for garnish

With an oven rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large (18 inch by 13 inch) rimmed baking sheet with parchment. On the lined sheet, toss 6 of the tomato halves, the onion wedges, and garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of the oil to coat, then arrange cut sides down. Roast until tomato skins begin to shrivel and brown, about 35 minutes, then remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove the tomato skins, scrape the vegetables and juices into a food processor or blender, add the chipotle chilies, oregano, cloves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Puree and set aside (you will have about 2 1/2 cups of puree).

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering. Add the tomato puree and cook until moisture evaporates and the mixture thickens and darkens, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop the remaining tomatoes; add them, the broth, and another 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot and stir to mix, and bring to a strong simmer. Add the toasted pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta just starts to bend, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach or chard, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium, cover pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, about 6 minutes longer. Add the cheese, stir to combine, taste the dish and adjust seasoning with more salt, if desired. Serve at once, allowing diners to garnish their portions with extra cheese, cilantro, avocado slices, and lime.