Authentic Pasta allo Scarpariello Recipe

Pasta allo Scarpariello is a traditional Neapolitan dish known for its quick and simple preparation.Named after shoemakers (scarpari) who made it during their lunch breaks, this dish features a flavorful combination of tomatoes, garlic, chili pepper, basil, and pecorino cheese.Make it at home with my easy pasta allo scarpariello recipe!

📝 Ingredients

• 350 g spaghetti (- 3/4 pound)
• 500 g tomatoes (- 1.1 pound, cherry or grape tomatoes)
• 60 g pecorino romano cheese (- ~1/2 cup, grated)
• 60 g Parmigiano Reggiano (- ~1/2 cup, grated)
• 12 basil (leaves)
• 2 chilies (- fresh)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (- extra virgin)
• 2 garlic (cloves, peeled)
• salt (to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1cut: First, let's get the cherry tomatoes ready. Wash them thoroughly, then cut them in half and put them aside. Next, prepare the fresh chilies. Trim them by cutting off the ends and removing the stem. Open them up to take out the seeds.
2. 2sauté: Pour some oil into a large nonstick frying pan. Peel the garlic cloves but keep them whole so you can remove them easily afterward. Heat the oil with the garlic and chilies in the pan. Sauté for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil to cook the spaghetti.
3. 3add and cook: Now, add the chopped cherry tomatoes to the frying pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. While the tomatoes are cooking, add the spaghetti to the boiling water.
4. 4add: Once it's ready, lightly salt it, remove the garlic (if you want), and add some chopped basil leaves.
5. 5cook and drain: When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and transfer it directly into the pan with the sauce.
6. 6add and mix: Mix well until evenly coated with the sauce. Add 1-2 small ladles (~1 cup) of the starchy pasta cooking water. This will help create a creamy sauce. Keep the heat very low, and add the grated pecorino and parmigiano cheese in several batches, alternating with a bit more cooking water if needed.
7. 7add and serve: Stir continuously to prevent the cheese from becoming stringy. Keep stirring until the pasta is creamy. Add more basil leaves for extra flavor and serve the creamy and fragrant scarpariello pasta immediately!