Anna Cristino from Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza in Clearwater joined us in the Chef’s Kitchen to share a summertime pasta recipe: Orecchiette al Fresco.
Cristino said the dish is perfect for the dinner table or the picnic table.
Orecchiette al Fresco
Ingredients
For sauce*:
- 2-3 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 red onion, diced
- 4 slices of fresh mozzarella, diced
- 1 tbsp. capers, with a little of the juice
- 1/4 — 1/3 cup black olives (or assorted olives)
- 1/4 — 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Pinch of: salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste (Note: Go light on salt — capers & olives have a lot of salt)
*Feel free to add additional fresh ingredients of your choice.
For pasta:
- 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
- 1 tbsp. salt
Directions
Sauce: Mix all sauce ingredients in large bowl, coat with olive oil
Pasta:
- Fill pot with water, add about 1 tbsp. of salt and boil
- Add orecchiette to boiling salted water
- Cook 9 to 12 minutes
Drain orecchiette and mix with sauce.
Serve hot (the heat from the pasta will melt the mozzarella) or at room temperature.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze (optional, will add sweetness).