This pasta checca with burrata is an updated spin on a traditional family meal we’ve been eating for generations. Small burst heirloom tomatoes and burrata take tradition to the next level.
Pasta checca is something I’ve been eating since I was a kid, something my mom has eaten since she was a kid and probably something my grandmother grew up eating as a first generation American in an Italian household in the Bronx.
Quite literally, “checca” is supposed to be an uncooked tomato sauce.
Leave it to my family though to break the rules because ours has always been cooked.
You might be thinking well what’s the difference between this “checca” stuff then and traditional marinara but, they’re nothing alike.
Checca epitomizes summer.
Its freshly ripened tomatoes from the garden paired with basil begging to be used before it bolts from the heat with lots of garlic cloves and that’s pretty much it.
My mom cooks it entirely in a skillet on the stove in just a few minutes and it’s an incredibly hands off sauce, nothing like marinara. It’s a great base for recipes like chicken sorrentino if you don’t choose to make pasta with it.
We rotate between this recipe and lemon spinach feta pasta all season long and I never tire of either.
Because it’s 2015 though and because “when in doubt, add burrata” has become my motto for this summer, I made a few changes to my family’s traditional recipe.
First of all, heirloom tomatoes.
I grew tomatoes in a few pots last year but after the hornworm catepillar fiasco of 2014, I’ve decided I’d much rather spend $4.99 for 20 ounces of packaged heirloom tomatoes than pluck disgusting fat green camouflaged worms off my plants.
With two containers of the prettiest green, orange, red and striped tomatoes I’ve ever seen in hand, this pasta checca was already beating the traditional plum tomatoes mom usually uses before I even got to cooking.
Next up, anchovy paste.
Anchovy paste is like the squeamish “ew, I don’t like tiny little fish packed in a can” girl’s dream.
No hairy fish bodies to deal with, just all the flavor already mushed up into a non-fishy looking paste.
Sautéing it with the garlic, olive oil and red pepper just takes the flavor profile to the next level.
And then, of course, burrata.
What dish isn’t made better with the addition of a creamy ricotta and fresh mozzarella ball of pure happiness escapes my brain at the moment but I can tell you pasta checca is definitely not one of them.
You can make this summer dish with any long stranded pasta shape. Bucatini is a fun alternative to thin spaghetti. It’s also a great shape for cacio e pepe, another simple meal that some fresh summer tomatoes could be added to.
Make this before summer is over. I implore you.
If you’re loaded with zucchini instead of tomatoes, try this zucchini mushroom pasta also featuring creamy burrata and basil.
MORE PASTA RECIPES LIKE THIS TO TRY:
Red Lentil Pasta with Lemon Garlic Greens
Creamy White Bean Pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Bucatini Pasta with Garlic Shrimp
Creamy Almond Butter Fall Pasta
Pasta Checca with Burrata
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6-8 cloves whole garlic, lightly smashed
- 1/2 tablespoon anchovy paste
- dash red pepper flakes
- 40 ounces small heirloom tomatoes, any big ones, chopped as needed
- 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
- 4 ounces burrata
- handful fresh basil, torn
- grated parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic, anchovy paste and red pepper flakes. Saute, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet and saute for another 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and let roast for about 20 more minutes until tomatoes have burst.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Add the pasta once boiling and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes)
- Drain the pasta, return to the pot, add the tomatoes from the skillet and the torn basil and gently toss to combine.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or platter, top with pieces of the burrata, parmesan cheese and more basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I see you make PASTA CHECCA dish so easy and look delicious. Can’t wait! Will try to do it for my family tonight.