Pasta alla checca, the Roman no-cook tomato pasta
Pasta alla checca: a no-cook sauce of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, garlic and oil that coats the pasta without any cooking. The fresh, fast Roman summer first course.
Are you looking for a summer first course that almost makes itself, without keeping the stove on longer than you have to?
Then pasta alla checca is exactly what you need. I’ll show you how to make this classic Roman dish with its no-cook sauce: ripe cherry tomatoes, fiordilatte mozzarella, basil, garlic and good oil that coat the pasta without cooking the sauce at all. All you need is a bowl and a little patience, because the secret is in letting everything mingle.
That rest at room temperature is the real strength here: while the tomatoes soften in the oil and release their fragrant juices, you only have time to boil the pasta. No pans, no sauce to watch over.
Compared with other summer pastas, pasta alla checca has at least three advantages: it is cheap and made with just a few seasonal ingredients, it is incredibly quick to put together, and it stays light yet full of flavor thanks to the freshness of the raw sauce.
One trick that makes the difference: add the well-drained mozzarella only at the end, so it does not release water and loosen the sauce. If you want a less liquid result, scoop out some of the tomato seeds before seasoning.
You can serve it warm as soon as the pasta is drained, at room temperature, or well chilled as a pasta to take to the beach. It tastes best the same day, while the basil is still bright and fragrant.
Ready? Let’s make pasta alla checca.
Steps
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into small pieces and put them in a large bowl. If you want a less watery sauce, remove some of the seeds.
- Season the tomatoes with the whole unpeeled garlic clove (to be removed later), the oil, salt, pepper and the basil torn by hand. Let it develop flavor at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Dice the mozzarella and let it drain well, so it does not water down the sauce.
- Cook the pasta in salted water, drain it al dente and let it cool for a few moments (or chill it if you want it cold).
- Remove the garlic from the sauce, add the pasta and the mozzarella and toss. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Helpful tips
The sauce is no-cook: let the tomatoes rest with oil and basil for at least half an hour to build flavor.
Add the well-drained mozzarella only at the end, so it does not release water.
Lovely warm, at room temperature or cold: perfect as a summer cold pasta too.
The classic Roman version uses mozzarella or caciotta: choose a dairy cheese that is not too watery.
Average nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 64.0 g
- Sugars
- 6.0 g
- Protein
- 18.0 g
- Fat
- 15.0 g
- Saturated fat
- 6.0 g
- Fiber
- 4.0 g
- Sodium
- 360 mg
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