Traditional Roma Pasta alla Checca

This pasta, with a raw uncooked sauce is perfect for this time of year with tomatoes at their peak. A traditional Roman meal shared with me many years ago from my dear Italian friend, Lucretzia, who is passionate about her food, its taste, technique, quality and authenticity. We cook together over a glass of wine and she has added so much to my culinary knowledge and enjoyment of cooking. The best Italian meals are good because their ingredients are good and unprocessed. Often local, seasonal and full of flavor. Make sure to use a good olive oil. So many olive oils are processed and don’t have that pure flavor with a touch of green. My favorite olive oils are Luccini, Trader Joes extra virgin olive oil and Costco’s Organic, first press olive oil. They also rank very high in blind taste tests and tests for purity and are not mixed in with other less expensive oils. A good oil is important because the oil will not be cooked and the flavors will shine through. Your kitchen pantry should include a less expensive olive oil for cooking and a superior olive oil for topping, drizzling and serving with bread. Although I find the Trader Joe’s and Costco varieties good enough and reasonable enough for both purposes.

The dish should use fresh, soft mozzarella. If you can not get the cherry mozzarella or the pearl mozzarella, just chop up the fresh large balls. The outcome will be the same.

The traditional Roman recipe does not contain garlic, but I like the garlicky kick. The Romans however, will occasionally add a couple of whole smashed cloves of garlic to the tomato mixture to marinate for taste and then remove them before adding the marinated tomatoes to the hot pasta. I also add some shaved Parmesan in the end, which is also not as traditional but the family loves it. Make a lot of this. Kids come back for more and leftovers the next two days are delicious.

Serves: 4 (Picture is a doubled recipe)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 9-15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box Orichette

5 plum tomatoes (about 3 cups chopped and deseeded)

1 cup of basil chiffonade (leaves rolled up and cut into strips horizontally)

24 oz. fresh mozzarella (3 cups of fresh mozzarella pearl or cherry size or large balls cut into 1 inch pieces)

1 fresh garlic clove smashed and minced

½ cup shaved Parmesan

¾ cup good olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic salt, I like Lawrys, it’s distinct

Pepper to taste

½ cup reserved cooking water from your pasta

Directions:

Cut and deseed plum tomatoes. Cut basil into chiffonade. Place tomatoes, basil, minced garlic, olive oil, both salts, and a generous grind of black pepper into a large bowl to marinate. The tomatoes will let go of their juices adding to the complexity of the raw sauce. Add the fresh mozzarella and ¼ cup of the shaved or coarsely grated parmesan, reserving the other ¼ cup for garnishing. Do not use powdered Parmesan.

Meanwhile, bring your water to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Choose the lesser time. Packages usually always give you a range. The pasta will continue to soften and the Italians like it a little “al dente”. I am using Orichette because I love the way the sauce accumulates in the little cups.

Do not cook the pasta until you are ready to eat. The process is very quick with this raw sauce and is best served right away. When pasta is cooked, remove ½ cup water from the pasta’s cooking water quickly. Drain pasta. Do not rinse the pasta. Toss the pasta into the large bowl with all of the marinated ingredients. Stir in the ¼ cup pasta water. Taste the pasta and adjust with salt, pepper, more olive oil or more pasta water if needed. Top with fresh parmesan.

Serve immediately.

Double recipes for delicious left overs.