Dear Giada,
I’ve seen so many variations on your checca sauce pop up of late, I thought I’d look into how you do it. You see, caprese and I are old friends. Adding pasta to the mix only makes it better in my book.
Now that I’ve found your original recipes, I took parts from each of them…
SPAGHETTINI WITH CHECCA SAUCE
and
PENNE WITH BABY MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES AND HERBS
…along with some fresh oregano and thyme from my own deck.
CAPELLINI CAPRESE ALLA KATTY
8 ounces capellini
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 ounce piece of Pecorino Romano, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
handful of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2 sprigs fresh oregano (leaves only)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Combine all ingredients (except pasta!) in a food processor. Pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Do not puree.
Cook the capellini according to package directions (just two minutes for De Cecco, my favorite in a box). Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl with the 1/4 cup of pasta water. Serve immediamente!
Freshly-made sausages from your favorite local Italian market (this is mine below!) pair beautifully with this dish.
May 25, 2010 at 12:15 pm
That produce photo is gorgeous! I want to eat those right up.
May 25, 2010 at 1:17 pm
that looks so good! i love caprese salad and sandwiches, but i never thought of having caprese pasta.
May 25, 2010 at 9:04 pm
I love the “alla Katty”s version, great recipe with all those fragrant herbs!
May 26, 2010 at 5:52 am
Indeed your produce pic is absolutely delectable. How can one possibly go wrong with mozzarella, fresh herbs and those wonderful grape tomatoes!
Yet another wonderful Italian-inspired recipe from your kitchen…
May 26, 2010 at 3:37 pm
You guys are the best–thanks so much for your positive feedback! I’m looking forward to playing around with more fresh sauce ideas for the summer.
September 9, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Sauce was great however needs to be microwaved or sauted for a minute. Thanks!