Spaghetti allo Scarpariello aka The Cobbler’s Wife

Have you ever heard of The Pasta Queen? She is my latest obsession and possibly my personal hero. Pasta has been my favorite food as long as I can remember and she makes all pasta look delicious and her videos are hilarious! One that caught my eye is “The Cobbler’s Wife“. While she does not give exact measurements from her recipes, I took that upon myself to make what I think is honestly a phenomenal and fresh tasting past dish. While the traditional recipe calls for spaghetti, I also love this dish with fettuccine. Let’s make our fresh tomato pasta recipe!

This is pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil aka a fresh tomato pasta recipe

It is that simple! Along with that you are going to be adding some cheese but it is very basic in its ingredients yet powerful with its flavor. Josh and I travelled to Italy a few years ago (you can read about it here) and one of the things that distinguishes traditional Italian food versus the food we claim to be Italian food is how heavy the sauces are. In Italy, sauces are light, there is not a lot of it, and its purpose is to highlight the ingredients. In North America, we typically slather pasta in a sauce (and while this can be good) you sometimes lose the authenticity of the ingredients and the dish.

Do you have to peel tomatoes for pasta sauce?

Not in this recipe! The cherry tomatoes are perfect for their size and you can literally just loss them in the pot. If you wish you can slice them in half, but, no peeling required!

Did you know you can freeze fresh tomatoes?

They can be raw or cooked, slice or whole. It is a great option if you want to enjoy these fresh beauties all year.

What does “Scarpariello” mean?

Literally translates to “shoe-maker” hence the nickname for this pasta recipe “the shoe cobbler’s wife”.

What do you need to make this fresh tomato pasta recipe?

1. 13 cloves of garlic
2. 2-3 cups of cherry tomatoes
3. 1/2 cup parmigiano
4. 1/2 cup pecorino
5. 2/3 cup torn fresh basil
6. Olive oil to cover the base of your pot (around 1/2 inch thick)
7. pasta water

How do you make it?

1. Fill a pot full of water and salt it to taste like the ocean. Meanwhile, peel your garlic and mince, and slice your tomatoes (if you choose) or leave them. Fill your second pot with the oil.
2. Once your water is at a boil, cook your pasta according to box instructions and place the oil in the second pot on the heat.
3. Place the pot with the oil on low heat and add the garlic. You are going to want it to infuse for several minutes. After around 5 minutes, add the torn basil (but save a few to toss it at the end). After 2 more minutes, add the tomatoes. Add Salt, and taste as you go! Add the cheese a few minutes before your pasta is ready into the pot with the tomatoes.
4. While the pasta is cooking, reserve around 1 cup of pasta water. The starch from the pasta in the water is what will bring your sauce together. Add a bit of the water to the tomatoes. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it, then pour the pasta into the pot with the oil. Cook until the sauce is creamy and sticks to the pasta. If you feel it is a bit too dry, add more pasta water. Serve immediately.

Looking for something similar to a fresh tomato pasta recipe?

Linguine with Clams
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Mediterranean Orzo
Spinach Stuffed Pasta Shells
Pad See Ew

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