Pasta alla pizzaiola

/5

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Francesca Meucci

Pasta alla pizzaiola is a simple and genuine recipe that sums up some of the symbolic ingredients of Italian cuisine: pasta, of course, tomato, mozzarella and basil. Quick to prepare and suitable for a dinner with friends or family, in this recipe the pasta - you can use mezze maniche, rigatoni, paccheri or even penne - is seasoned with a tomato sauce flavored with basil and lots of mozzarella cubes which, with the heat, melt and become deliciously stringy. Pizzaiola sauce pasta is ready in a few simple steps and usually always conquers everyone!

You may also like:

 

INGREDIENTS
Mezze Maniche Rigate pasta 13 oz (370 g)
Cherry tomatoes 25 oz (700 g)
Mozzarella cheese 7 oz (200 g)
Garlic 1 clove
Basil 8 leaves
Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
Salt 1 pinch
Pepper 1 pinch
Preparation

How to prepare Pasta alla pizzaiola

To prepare the pizzaiola sauce pasta, start by preparing the tomato sauce: wash and dry the cherry tomatoes, then cut them into cubes.

Peel the garlic and put it in a large non-stick pan together with the oil: for a more delicate sauce you can leave the garlic clove whole and then remove it after cooking, otherwise you can chop it finely.

Fry the garlic in the oil over low heat, then add the chopped tomatoes, a pinch of salt, a little pepper and 4 basil leaves, after breaking them up with your hands. Mix well, cover the pan with its lid and let the fresh tomato sauce cook for about 15 minutes over low heat.

Meanwhile, put a large pot full of water on the stove. When it comes to a boil, add about 2 tablespoons of salt, wait for it to boil again and add the mezze maniche. Boil the pasta for about 12 minutes or for the time indicated on the package.

While the pasta is cooking, cut the mozzarella into cubes and set aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and transfer it to the pan with the sauce. Sauté the pasta for a minute or two over high heat, stirring often to mix it with the tomato sauce. Then turn off the heat and add the diced mozzarella. Mix immediately to spread over all the pasta, until the mozzarella begins to melt and become stringy. Complete with the remaining basil leaves.

Serve the pasta alla pizzaiola immediately.

How to store

If you have any leftovers, you can keep the pizzaiola sauce pasta in the fridge for a day or two and use it to prepare a delicious baked pasta: put it in a baking dish and garnish it with a little grated Parmesan cheese and some butter curls, then bake it at 392° F (200°C) for about 15 minutes.

Advice

You can enrich the pasta ala pizzaiola with black olives or finely chopped capers.

Instead of the fresh tomato you can use 2 and 1/2 cups (750 g) of tomato puree.