I can’t believe I’ve never posted a recipe for my go-to summer pasta. This simple pasta with raw tomatoes, is eaten all over Italy and called by different names. In Rome it’s called ‘alla checca’ and in other places simply pasta fredda, or cold pasta. In my house we’ve always called it Spaghetti Estate , or summer spaghetti. I’m pretty sure we first had it as kids when I lived in Italy with my parents.
I think I’ve never written about it because it seemed too simple? There are few ingredients and it’s difficult to tell you how much to use of each of the ingredients since it barely matters. It’s always great.
A few tips:
- While you can prepare the tomatoes a few hours ahead of time, don’t refrigerate them. And definitely don’t add the past till the last minute.
- If you want to make is more hardy, add some cut up mozzarella to the tomatoes to marinate.
- Another cheesy alternative is to add grated ricotta salata at the end.
- Don’t be temped to over do it with the garlic. A little goes a long way.
- If you don’t have basil, don’t worry. Something green is nice though, so if you have some arugula, throw it in at the last minute.
Don’t worry too much about which pasta shape you use. It’s so good, that no one will notice anyway. For some reason I’m partial to bow ties or fusilli. But as you can see from these photos I use whatever I’ve got.
And if you don’t have big fat juicy summer tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are your best bet.
Pasta with Raw Tomatoes
Yield 4-5
If you'd like to make this more filling, add a cup of chopped mozzarella. You can even add a can or two of tuna.
Ingredients
- 500 gr / 1 pound pasta (any shape will do, but I am partial to bowties)
- 4 large ripe tomatoes or 3-4 cups cherry tomatoes
- Bunch basil
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 small clove garlic
Instructions
- Pour the olive oil in a large serving bowl. Crush the garlic into the oil and stir.
- Cut the tomatoes into bite sized pieces and add to oil. Season with salt and pepper and add basil. Stir and let sit so the juices come out. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt.
- Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
- Drain pasta and add to tomato mixture, stir and serve immediately.
Elizabeth, I love your recipes, I still use the lemon and rusk appetizer from your trip to the lagoon in Venice from years ago. I have been making a version of raw tomato sauce for years and am always loving a new addition to the mix. Lately, I have added drained ricotta cheese for a creamy texture. Thanks again for all your thoughts.
thanks Angela!
Ok, is it 1/2 lb of pasta or 500g, which is a pound? Tastes great but would like to have the proportions right.
Sorry, that was a typo due to my brain in a heatwave. It’s now fixed.
I shall make summer spaghetti for my dinner. While I am eating it I will be dreaming about Puglia, Sicily and Lazio. Thank you for the food and the day-dreams.
sounds like a good plan!
I make a very similar dish but add onions , jalapeño and cilantro (basically Pico de gallo ). Sometimes I add shrimp and avocado to make a cool summer lunch!