Pasta allo scarpariello is a traditional Neapolitan first course as delicious as it is quick to make. A simple dish based on cherry tomatoes, cheese, and basil that will win over all diners.
It is a “poor dish” born among the alleys of the Spanish Quarters in Naples to recover leftovers, becoming over time a true specialty!
Join me in the kitchen and prepare pasta allo scarpariello with me!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 14 oz pasta (I used spaghetti)
- 18 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 oz pecorino romano
- 1 oz Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
- basil
- 1 clove garlic
- fresh chili pepper (optional)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Steps
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Place a large pan on the heat (it will also have to contain the pasta later), add the oil and the whole garlic, the chili pepper with seeds removed and chopped, and let it lightly brown. Then add the cherry tomatoes, stir, and let cook for about ten minutes. Remove the garlic, salt, and add the basil leaves broken by hand.
Meanwhile, grate the cheeses and set them aside
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, drain it while still al dente, directly into the pan with the cherry tomatoes and sauté for a couple of minutes. Keep aside a few ladles of cooking water to be used for mixing the pasta.
With the heat off, add the grated cheeses and a bit more cooking water if needed and stir to combine everything.
Serve the pasta allo scarpariello immediately, adding more fresh basil on each plate.
Notes
If you don’t like chili, you can easily omit it, just as you can use only parmesan if you don’t like the taste of pecorino.
