Pasta alla Checca aka “bruschetta pasta” is the one of the easiest pasta sauces you will ever make. It is no cook, delicious and fresh, especially in the warm summer months.
This dish is actually a typical Roman pasta dish and it is good served hot or cold.
Believe it or not, I actually get this dish every time I am at the Rome airport and I love it. Yes, even the airport n Italy has good food.
Pasta alla Checca
Ingredients
(Serves 4- 6)
24 oz. Cherry Tomatoes, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, whole
⅓ Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Kalamata Olives, drained well and sliced in half
1 tsp. Salt
10 Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 lb. Pasta, I used penne
¾ lb. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed and dried well
Method
Boil pasta water and salt well.
In a bowl add the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, kalamata olives, salt and basil. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes so all the flavors can come together.
Boil your pasta, drain and cool slightly.
Remove the garlic from the tomato mixture.
Add in the pasta and combine.
Add in the mozzarella, toss and serve.
Recipe Notes…..
For this recipe, I like the fresh the best but if you can’t find it you can substitute a low moisture mozzarella.
Also, if using fresh mozzarella it tends to have a lot of excess water. Cut it in cubes. Then place on some paper towels or a dish towel and pat dry. If the mozzarella is too watery it will affect the flavor of the sauce.
Fresh tomatoes are a must in this dish so use what you can find that is high quality and ripe. If you can’t find cherry or grape tomatoes, you can certainly use a different type of tomato.