{Pasta Alla Checca} No-Cook Heirloom Tomato Burrata Pasta Recipe

There is nothing that transports me to Italy faster than pasta alla checca. 

So simple, but so delicious the mix of fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced garlic, and olive oil create a brag-worthy sauce made sublime by the addition of creamy burrata cheese. 

What Is Pasta Alla Checca?

A traditional pasta dish that comes from Rome, pasta alla checca (pronounced "kheh-kah") is a recipe often served during warmer weather when people are eating alfresco with abandon. 

At its most simple, pasta alla checca is a no cook pasta sauce made by combining a few key ingredients: fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and olive oil. The best versions of this pasta have top quality ingredients and they're all full of flavor so it tastes almost like an amazing Caprese salad got tossed together with pasta.

But too often it's flavorless because it's made with not great tomatoes, doesn't have enough sauce, or is just not executed well. We set out to right all those wrongs with this recipe.

The Key To The Heirloom Tomato Sauce

The key to this pasta is restraint. As in you only want to make it when you have ah-mazing tomatoes. Then you let the tomatoes really, really marinate so their flavor is maximized. And finally it's all topped off with some super fresh cheese, like a really awesome burrata cheese.

• Get Great Heirloom Tomatoes: Top-quality tomatoes take this dish from good to great so buy ones that are fresh, ripe, and in season. When you cut the tomatoes, they'll release juice. Instead of dis- carding it, add to the sauce for extra flavor.
• Use A Short Ridged Shape: These days you'll see pasta alla checca served with angel hair (aka cappellini pasta) but that's a mismatch in our opinion. This dish works well with any short pasta that clings to the delicate sauce without overwheming in be it some penne rigate, gemelli, casarecce, or fusilli.
• Drain Off The Brine From The Cheese:  Burrata is part cream, part mozzarella cheese that’s pure indulgence. If you can’t find it, buffalo mozzarella will work well.
• Serve It Warm Or Room Temperature: Some recipes make this into a pasta salad and have you mix the sauce with cold pasta but we really think that's a disservice. However, it's not usually served piping hot as that would melt the cheese. Instead we suggest you serve it warm or room temperature so all the flavors come through.
• Or Serve It As Bruschetta: Confession: the tomato mixture doubles as a bruschetta topping! Simply spoon over toasted country bread, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and serve.

Variations On This Dish

This recipe is delicious as is but is ripe for variations. Here are a few ways we like to mix it up:

• Grill some summer vegetables like zucchini and add them in.
• Use a tangy cheese like goat cheese or crumbled feta in place of the burrata.
• Add chopped capers, tapenade, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, or anchovies when you add the basil.
• Stir in a few spoonfuls of our pesto for a chunky crossover sauce.

Go stock up on all your pasta essentials then share your creation with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!