Spaghetti allo Scarpariello

Pop open that bottle of Pinot Grigio and pour yourself a glass of wine. Light, bright, and easy, with a burst of fresh flavor, Spaghetti allo Scarpariello is the answer to that age old weeknight question, what’s for dinner?

This twist on an Italian classic comes together in the amount of time it takes you to boil your spaghetti. Elegant enough to entertain with, yet easy enough you can prepare any night of the week, the only other thing you’ll need is a pretty salad and Antipasto Garlic Bread.

What is Pasta allo Scarpariello?

Pasta allo Scarpariello is a Neapolitan dish that translates to the shoemaker’s wife pasta. No one is quite sure how it got its name, but it was traditionally made with leftover Sunday ragu, stretching out the sauce for another meal. Now it is a simple tomato and cheese sauce, often consisting of fresh tomatoes. Canned tomatoes can also be used.

Traditional spaghetti allo scarpariello starts with garlic being simmered in olive oil. Some add the garlic cloves whole and then later remove them, just infusing their flavor while other mince the garlic and leave it as part of the pasta. Crushed red pepper flakes are also simmered in the olive oil to add a depth of flavor. Sweet and summery tomatoes go in, followed by pasta water. This is the ingredient that gives the sauce body while also helping emulsify the cheeses. And for this pasta there are always two types of cheese, both Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. Anything that involves two types of cheese and the sweet burst of fresh tomatoes is an instant classic.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Give me all of the cheese please! If adding a snow flurry of two different kinds of Italian cheeses wasn’t enough to hook you, the idea of a fresh and easy tomato sauce that you can prepare in less than 30 minutes will.

• Quick Cook Time – This dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. You can be making the beginning of the sauce while boiling your pasta.
• Minimal Ingredients – Unlike many pasta recipes, this doesn’t require many ingredients. With the exception of the two different types of cheese, it’s also a relatively affordable dish to make.
• Familiar Flavors – This gives you the comforting flavor of a tomato sauce, but with fresh ingredients.
• Accessible Ingredients – The star of this dish is fresh cherry or grape tomatoes which are easy to find year-round. Unlike other tomato recipes that may call for heirloom or vine ripe tomatoes that are at season’s peak in summer, grape and cherry tomatoes are naturally sweet all year.
• Easy to Double – This recipe is easy to make for just a couple people, or double up for a crowd.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil – This will allow your aromatics to soften while also waking up your crushed red pepper flakes.
• Onion – While not traditional, this adds a natural sweetness to the fresh tomato sauce.
• Garlic – Aromatic and a little sassy, garlic builds that savory back note.
• Basil – The sweet, herbaceous, and slightly licorice like flavor of basil gets used in two ways in this recipe. Stems are added with the aromatics, infusing their flavor into the olive oil, and then the verdant leaves are added at the end. Basil is a delicate herb that loses its flavor when it’s cooked for a long time, so use the stems for cooking, and finish with the leaves.
• Tomatoes – Either grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes will work for this recipe. You want to use what looks the best. Because they’re available year round, this is a dish you can just as easily make in the winter white tomatoes aren’t at peak season as you can in the summer.
• White Wine – Pick a dry white wine for this recipe such as a Pinot Grigio. It adds a bright acidity that compliments the sweet tomatoes and cuts through the richness of the cheeses.
• Spaghetti – While this quick cooking pasta sauce will work with any shape, spaghetti is the classic. Spaghetti rigati, which has grooves in it, allows the sauce to cling to the noodles.
• Pasta Water – Pasta water is the magic ingredient that not only gives this fresh sauce body, but also helps emulsify everything. The starches in the cooking water help marry the cheese with the aromatics and tomatoes.
• Pecorino Romano – This salty sheep’s milk cheese is tangy, bold, and sharp. This is the classic cheese found in cacio e pepe and carbonara.
• Parmigiano Reggiano – This nutty and slightly sweet cow’s milk cheese is often referred to as the “King of Cheeses” in Italy. It’s aged for a minimum of 12 months. The nutty sweetness of the Parmesan balances out the bold and salty Pecorino Romano.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Measure with your heart. This will infuse the olive oil with a spicy kick. Calabrian chile pepper flakes can also be used.
• Salt – Salt is an important component of not just the sauce itself, but also when boiling your pasta. Because the pasta water is a vital ingredient you want to make sure it’s well seasoned.
• Butter – This is another ingredient not traditional to the classic Italian recipe. However when added at the end it adds a slight creaminess to the finished sauce. Make sure to use unsalted butter so you have control of the seasoning.

How to Make Spaghetti allo Scarpariello

If you can boil a pot of water, you can make this easy pasta dish. This can also just as easily be prepared on the grill as it can on the stove. All you need is a pot large enough to boil your pasta, and a large skillet to make the sauce and marry the ingredients.

• Double, Double, Toil and Trouble – Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add a generous tablespoon of kosher salt to the water. Cook your pasta according to the package directions, a minute shy of al dente.
• Pan and a Plan – Heat a large skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add your onions and garlic and allow them to sauté for 3-5 minutes until they are fragrant, and the onions are translucent. Add your crushed red pepper flakes and basil stems and cook for an additional minute.

• Tomato Time – Add your tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt, and allow them to slump down and become soft, 3-5 minutes.
• A Splash of Wine – Add your wine, making sure to scrape up any brown bits. This is called the fond. Let the wine come to a simmer and slightly reduce.

• Mix it Up – Remove the basil stems. Add your drained pasta into the pan along with both types of cheeses, and your butter. Add the pasta water and continuously toss to combine, allowing the cheese and butter to melt and the sauce to become slightly creamy.

• Taste – Taste for seasoning. Because the cheeses are naturally salty and the pasta water was salted, you may not need to add any additional salt. Also check for how saucy it is. If you want it a littler saucier, give it another splash of the pasta water.
• Finishing Touch – Add your fresh basil, stirring so it’s just combined. Garnish with extra freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. Don’t forget to serve this with the rest of your wine!

Variations

• All Parmigiano Reggiano/Pecorino Romano – While Spaghetti allo Scarpariello traditionally includes the combination of both Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano, you can use all of one or the other. Using all Pecorino Romano will give you a bolder flavored pasta while all Parmigiano Reggiano will give you a nuttier more mellow flavor. In addition, you can also use domestic parmesan cheese, but just make sure you grate it yourself.
• Gluten Free – Swap the spaghetti in this pasta for your favorite Gluten Free variety.
• Spicy – Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes in this recipe to give it more of a sassy kick. In addition, you can also use Calabrian chili oil.
• No Wine – The wine in this recipe can be left out completely. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen up your tomatoes and aromatics and deglaze the pan before continuing on with the rest of the recipe.
• Burrata – Is it gilding the lily? Absolutely! But just imagine a molten ball of burrata topping this still warm pasta. Burrata really does make everything better.
• Canned Tomatoes – In a pinch, you can use canned tomatoes for this recipe that have been drained. Canned cherry tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes will offer the most sweetness.

Tips From the Beach

Pasta water is your best friend. Not only do the starches in the water help bring a sauce together, they also can help stretch out a sauce to your desired consistency while giving it a silky texture. This tip works for tomato sauces, cream sauces like alfredo, and even good old macaroni and cheese.

Down to just the rind of your parmesan? Don’t toss it out! The rinds of both parmesan and Pecorino-Romano can be frozen and used to add instant umami to everything from ragus and tomato sauce to your favorite soups.

Looking for more pasta recipes? Make sure to check out Clams with Prosecco Cream Sauce and Grilled Corn and Tomato Pasta.

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