Checca Recipes

ALLA CHECCA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Stir in salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta, and toss. Add grated Parmesan cheese to your liking.

SPAGHETTINI WITH CHECCA SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree).
• Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately.

CHECCA

Steps:

• Mix tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic together in a large non-reactive bowl; season with salt.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let mixture sit at room temperature until the flavors meld, 2 to 10 hours.
• Stir Parmesan cheese into the tomato mixture just before serving.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CHECCA RECIPE FROM ROME

Steps:

• Cut the tomatoes into cubes and leave them in a colander to naturally lose some of their water, without removing the inner flesh with the seeds.
• Chop the parsley and tear the basil leaves into pieces. Roughly chop the pitted olives.
• Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet. Let it heat gently, over a very low heat for about a minute. Add a tablespoon of chopped parsley, 4-5 chopped basil leaves and a pinch of fennel seeds and the olives
• After a minute, add the chopped tomatoes to the mixture. Stir, season with salt, cover and cook slowly, over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and season with a generous amount of freshly ground pepper. Add some more chopped fresh parsley and basil. Let the sauce rest while you cook the pasta. It helps to enhance the flavours!
• Throw the spaghetti into the boiling salted water and cook al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is ready save a cup of the cooking water and drain it.
• Add the pasta to the sauce while it is still very hot. If the sauce seems dry, add some of the pasta cooking water or another couple of tablespoons of oil. If using a serving dish as I did, turn the pasta alla checca out into a serving bowl and then add the burrata. Sprinkle with more fresh parsley and basil. Serve immediately!

SPAGHETTI WITH CHECCA SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the oil, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, onions, garlic, salt and pepper; cover and process until coarsely chopped. , Drain spaghetti and place in a bowl. Add the tomato mixture, mozzarella cheese and water; toss to coat.

PASTA ALLA CHECCA

Steps:

• First, blanch your tomatoes. Bring a pot of water to the boil and put your tomatoes in, whole, for about a minute. You aren't trying to cook them, just get the skin loosened.
• Remove the water and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.
• Remove the skins, and then chop roughly and remove the seeds (whilst trying to keep as much of the juice as possible!)
• Put the chopped tomatoes in a bowl with the olive oil, chili flakes, basil and garlic.
• Set aside for a few hours, to let the flavors mingle.
• When it's time to serve, cook your linguine according to package instructions. Drain and return to the pan.
• Remove the garlic from the tomato sauce.
• Mix the tomato sauce in with the linguine. (Do not have any heat on the pan at this stage - the tomatoes will warm up a little just by contact with the linguine but we don't want the end result to be piping hot).
• Serve!

ALLA CHECCA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl.
• Stir in salt.
• Cover with plastic wrap.
• Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
• Drain.
• Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta, and toss.
• Add grated Parmesan cheese to your liking.

ALLA CHECCA

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil in a non-metal bowl. Stir in salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or as long as 10 hours. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain. Pour uncooked sauce over hot pasta, and toss. Add grated Parmesan cheese to your liking.

PASTA à LA CHECCA

Steps:

• 1. Cook the pasta until al dente.
• 2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, squeeze the tomatoes to break them up (it's faster than chopping, and your kid will likely love joining in).
• 3. Add the garlic, oil, arugula (if using), salt, and pepper; set aside.
• 4. Drain the pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of the water) and toss it with the tomatoes. If the pasta is still a little dry, add some of the cooking water.
• 5. Let sit until the heat from the pasta has cooked the tomatoes and garlic slightly and wilted the arugula, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.