Spaghettini with Checca Sauce

A quick and fresh spaghettini dish featuring a vibrant uncooked sauce made with cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, Parmesan, and basil, tossed with fresh mozzarella cubes. Ready in minutes, it's a perfect way to enjoy the flavors of summer produce.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Total Time 23

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 1764.6 kcal

Equipment

1 Large Pot For cooking pasta
1 Food Processor For making the checca sauce
1 Colander or Strainer For draining pasta
1 Large Mixing Bowl For tossing pasta and sauce

Ingredients

Main

8 ounces spaghettini or angel hair pasta
4 scallions white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1-ounce piece Parmesan, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree).
Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately.

Notes

1. Ensure the food processor is only pulsed briefly to achieve a coarse chop on the tomatoes, not a puree. The texture is key for a good checca sauce.
2. Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the sauce, as its flavor is prominent in this raw preparation.
3. Don't skip reserving pasta water! It helps emulsify the sauce and ensures it coats the pasta beautifully.
4. Serve this dish immediately after tossing, as the heat from the pasta helps the sauce meld and slightly softens the mozzarella.