A fabulous summertime dish from Rome that you might be tempted to call pasta salad, but it is not! As any Roman will tell you, this is hot pasta, just drained and tossed with a room-temperature sauce of raw tomatoes, fresh basil, slivered red onions, and plenty of fine, fruity olive oil, preferably from Lazio, Rome’s region. A favorite of the trattorie in the heart of Vecchia Roma, pasta alla checca is deservedly popular and so refreshing on a summer night.
We’ve found the dish is ideal with a mix of as many different-colored tomatoes as you can find—yellow, red, green, even purple ones. But if only red tomatoes are available, by all means go ahead, just as long as they are field or garden ripened. For this, you want fruit with a lot of juice that will be absorbed by the hot pasta when you toss it. Another summertime bonus: Prepare the tomatoes at least an hour ahead of time and let them sit, covered, to macerate and absorb the other flavors. Then it’s just a question of cooking the pasta, draining it, and tossing it with the sauce.
Long or short pasta, it’s up to you; we like to use handmade pasta alla chitarra (see here) or any long, skinny pasta secca, from spaghetti to tonnarelli.
SERVES 6
2 to 3 pounds very ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced very fine (optional)
Sea salt
⅓ to ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon aged wine vinegar, more or less as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, if you wish
Handful of basil leaves, slivered, plus a few whole small leaves for garnish
About 1 pound (500 grams) spaghetti, tonnarelli, pasta alla chitarra, or other long, skinny pasta
Combine the tomatoes, garlic, and onion (if using) with a good sprinkle of salt and toss in a bowl. Add ⅓ cup oil and toss again. Taste and add just a little vinegar to give a touch of acid to the “sauce.” Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add salt and the pasta and cook following the directions here, until al dente.
Taste the tomatoes once more and adjust the seasoning, adding pepper and a bit more vinegar, if you wish. Be sure there’s enough salt—salt really brings out the flavor of raw tomatoes, so if it tastes a little bland, add a pinch more. Stir in the slivered basil.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and immediately turn it into a warm serving bowl. Cover with the tomato sauce, garnish with basil leaves, and serve immediately.