Little Pasta in Roasted Tomato Broth

Though many people don’t associate pasta with Mexican cooking, fideos are a favorite. I have fond memories of my mother making this for me when I was growing up. The great thing about this dish is the technique of browning the pasta in oil–toasting adds nuttiness. Typically, coiled nests of vermicelli are fried, then broken up in pieces. But I don’t like the texture of these thin noodles for this dish; I prefer small shapes such as alphabet pasta, tiny tubes, or melon seeds (orzo). <