Pasta Alla Sorrentina Recipes

PASTA ALLA SORRENTINA

Steps:

• Start a large pot of water boiling for the pasta and salt it well. Once boiling, add the pasta to the pot and cook according to package directions, or until al dente.
• Add the olive oil and garlic to a skillet on the stovetop. Turn the heat on to medium-low and heat the oil and garlic slightly. As soon as the oil is heated and you can see tiny bubbles around the garlic, add the cherry tomatoes and basil to the pan and raise the temperature slightly. Add the red pepper flakes and salt (and a pinch of sugar, if using). Cook, stirring, until the skin on the cherry tomatoes starts to crack open. **Make sure the garlic doesn't brown during this process. If it is starting to colour at all, add a Tbsp or 2 of water to the pan to stop the garlic browning.
• When the tomatoes start cracking, use the back of a large spoon to smash about 1/2 of the cherry tomatoes. Add the butter (if using) and stir to combine.
• When pasta is ready, spoon out of pot with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drain off back into the pot. Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Add a 1/2 ladle or so of pasta water to the skillet and cook the pasta with the sauce about 2 minutes. Season with some freshly ground pepper.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in the cubed fresh mozzarella. Stir in and allow the residual heat from the pan to soften the cheese. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan and some fresh, chopped basil. *If using regular mozzarella cheese, you may need to leave it on the heat for a bit to soften the cheese.

PASTA ALLA SORRENTINA

Steps:

• To prepare pasta alla sorrentina , you'll need to start by preparing the sauce. Pour the oil into a large pan and add the peeled garlic clove 1 , fry for 1 minute, and then add the tomato puree 2 . Season with salt as needed, add a few basil leaves, and stir 3 .
• At this point, cover with a lid, and leave to cook for 30 minutes over low heat before removing the garlic clove 4 . Heat a pot full of water to cook the pasta, and in the meantime, cut the mozzarella into cubes 5 . Once the water has reached a boil, cook the pasta al dente 6
• before draining it and adding it to the sauce 7 , stirring well to combine 8 . Pour around half of the pasta into a 10-inch (25-cm) round baking dish to form the first layer 9 ,
• before placing half of the mozzarella cubes 10 on top and sprinkling with a little Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 11 . Cover with the remaining pasta 12 ,
• then add the mozzarella, and finally cover with the Parmigiano Reggiano (13-14). Broil in the oven for around 5 minutes, until the pasta is nicely baked and the mozzarella has melted (if you don't have a broil function, you can put the dish on the top rack and turn the oven on full power, but be careful not to burn it!). Garnish your pasta alla sorrentina with some fresh basil and serve immediately 15 !

GNOCCHI ALLA SORRENTINA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly oil an oven-safe baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float to the top, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• While gnocchi is cooking, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Cut an "x" into the skin of each tomato with a sharp knife and add to the skillet; stir well. Pour in white wine and simmer until tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Using a spoon, gently crush tomatoes to release juice and pulp. Add basil and continue to gently crush tomatoes to create a sauce. Remove and discard tomato skins as they loosen from the pulp. Cook for 1 more minute over low heat. Add drained gnocchi to the sauce and mix until covered with the sauce.
• Remove skillet from heat and add mozzarella balls, folding everything together gently but quickly, so cheese is coated with sauce but not cooked or melted. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Garnished with fresh basil sprigs.