Orecchiette al Pomodoro e Cacioricotta

Name: Orecchiette al Pomodoro e Cacioricotta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Pugliese
Ingredients: 400 g fresh orecchiette; 800 g ripe plum tomatoes; 45 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 2 cloves Garlic; 10 leaves fresh basil leaves; 80 g cacioricotta pugliese (semi-aged); 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Apulian ear-shaped pasta tossed in a sweet, light summer tomato sauce and finished with finely grated salty cacioricotta cheese.

🇮🇹Italy· Apulia

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 485 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

400 g fresh orecchiette — or 320g dried semolina orecchiette
800 g ripe plum tomatoes — peeled and roughly chopped
45 ml Extra virgin olive oil — Pugliese if available
2 cloves Garlic — peeled and lightly crushed
10 leaves fresh basil leaves — torn
80 g cacioricotta pugliese (semi-aged) — for grating
1 pinch Fine sea salt — to taste

Equipment

•Large saucepan
•Large stockpot
•Colander
•Box grater
•Wooden spoon

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 485 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 74 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 16 g
calories: 485 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat.
2
Add the crushed garlic cloves and cook until pale golden and fragrant.
3
Add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt to the pan.
4
Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 25 minutes until the sauce turns sweet and glossy.
5
Stir in the torn basil leaves and discard the garlic cloves.
6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
7
Drop the orecchiette into the water and cook until tender with a pleasant bite.
8
Drain the pasta, reserving two tablespoons of the starchy cooking water.
9
Add the orecchiette and reserved water directly into the warm tomato sauce.
10
Toss over low heat for one minute until each piece of pasta is coated.
11
Divide among shallow bowls and scatter a generous cloud of grated cacioricotta over each portion.

Chef's tips

Use ripe summer plum tomatoes such as San Marzano or Fiaschetto for the sweetest sauce. Season the sauce lightly with salt at first, because cacioricotta delivers a sharp, savoury punch on top.

Ingredient substitutions

cacioricotta pugliese → ricotta salata or a mild, young Pecorino Romano
fresh plum tomatoes → 800g quality canned whole peeled Italian plum tomatoes, crushed by hand

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, keeping extra cheese separate.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, then top with fresh cacioricotta.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cooking the sauce for too long until it becomes dark and heavy instead of fresh and vibrant.
•Pre-mixing the grated cheese into the sauce rather than scattering it on top before serving.
•Over-salting the sauce before considering the saltiness of the cacioricotta.