Rachel Roddy’s Pasta with Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella, Herb, and Olive Sauce

The fan quit on one of the hottest days of the year, a development that wasn’t exactly unexpected. For weeks, it had been acting erratic: stopping abruptly, then reviving with a push, spinning erratically, and groaning. While chopping tomatoes, I noticed that the ribbon tied to the fan’s protective cage fell limp, and the kitchen air stilled. Maybe it was a power outage, I thought, until I saw the steady glow of the WiFi light. I tried nudging the fan, toggling it off and on in vain. Nothing. It was defunct.

Alberto Moravia’s short story Scherzi del Caldo (Hot Weather Jokes) perfectly captures the oppressive atmosphere of a hot Roman apartment. The swelling furniture, clammy shirts, and quarrelsome families felt all too familiar.

Making matters worse, a pan of boiling water began filling the room with steam, turning the kitchen into a fragrant sauna. As I chopped away, pale tomato juices cascaded from the countertop, drip-drying as they went. Surely, the heat would only enhance the flavors, I mused, reducing a heap of parsley to a limp pile. At least the sauce required no cooking. Inspired by the Roman dish pasta alla checca, this improvisational recipe blends raw tomato, cheese, and herbs, and offers a refreshing summer meal.

For this dish, gather approximately 500g of tomatoes—a mix of large, firm, slightly green salad tomatoes and a handful of sweet cherry or date tomatoes is ideal. Quarter and de-seed the larger tomatoes; the smaller ones can just be diced. Choose between mozzarella or cow’s milk fior di latte, ensuring it is well-drained and diced small. A touch of fennel seeds adds a sweet, anise-like flavor, although one will inevitably get stuck in your teeth.

Some people prefer to cook the pasta first, let it cool, and then add the condiment. Others, including myself, let the condiment sit while the pasta cooks. This allows flavors to meld and juices to form, which the hot pasta then absorbs better, amplifying the flavors. The dish can be served hot or left to cool.

The appeal of this recipe lies in how the condiment clings to the pasta, whether caught in the ends of small tubes, entwined in spaghetti, or, even better, the finer spaghettini. This creates a weave that traps bits of tomato, cheese, and herbs, making it a superb dish, even without a fan.

Pasta with a raw tomato, mozzarella, herb and olive sauce

Serves four

Ingredients:

500g firm and tasty tomatoes – a mix of varieties, ideally
200g mozzarella or fior di latte
1 garlic clove
60g green, fleshy olives, finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp capers, finely chopped
1 heaped tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 handful fresh basil leaves, ripped
1 heaped tbsp chopped marjoram
1 pinch fennel seeds
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
450g pasta – small tubes, spaghetti or spaghettini

Quarter any large tomatoes, scoop out the seeds, and finely dice; for cherry tomatoes, just dice and don’t worry about the seeds. Finely dice the cheese. Peel and finely chop the garlic. In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes with the cheese, garlic, olives, capers, herbs, fennel seeds, and olive oil. Season to taste and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt, stir, then cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss it with the diced condiment in the bowl. Mix well and serve.

Source: The Guardian