Rachel Roddy presents a pasta dish ideal for hot summer days, combining warm courgettes and spring onions with a raw tomato salsa. The recipe, inspired by Neapolitan cooking, treats pasta like salad leaves, tossing it gently with a fresh sauce.
Background and Inspiration
Jeanne Caròla Francesconi's book on Neapolitan food includes several recipes for pasta with raw tomato sauces suitable for hot weather. Roddy highlights vermicelli all’insalata, which means "like a salad," emphasizing that the pasta should be tossed gently with condiments and dressing, similar to salad leaves.
The recipe combines two dishes from cooking lessons at the old Latteria Studio: pasta with courgette and pasta with double tomato sauce. The courgettes softened in olive oil with spring onion provide warmth, while the raw tomato salsa adds a room-temperature element.
Ingredients and Preparation
For four servings, you need: 2 large courgettes, 3-4 spring onions, 400g ripe tomatoes, 7 tbsp olive oil, a small handful of basil leaves, a pinch of dried oregano, half a small garlic clove (minced), salt, and 450g of pasta (linguine, spaghetti, pici, farfalle, or radiatori).
Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Top and tail the courgettes, then grate them or cut into slender batons. If grating, wrap in a tea towel and squeeze out excess water. Finely slice the spring onions. Dice the tomatoes, catching any juices, and mix with 3 tbsp olive oil, ripped basil, oregano, garlic, and salt. Let the salsa sit for about 20 minutes to become juicy.
Cooking Process
Salt the pasta water, add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan or wok, gently warm 4 tbsp olive oil, add the spring onions, and sauté until soft. Add the courgettes and fry gently for about five minutes, adding a bit of starchy pasta water to keep them soft rather than browned. The courgettes should be soft with some oily juices.
Lift the pasta directly into the courgette pan and toss vigorously to coat. Add the diced tomato salsa and stir again. Transfer to a large bowl or platter and garnish with more basil.
Serving Suggestions
Both long and short pasta shapes work; long thin shapes like spaghetti form a net, while short shapes like farfalle or orecchiette catch the sauce. Toss again before serving to distribute the juices. Add more olive oil if needed, and plenty of ripped basil. For a tricolour effect, add blobs of ricotta or ripped mozzarella.
According to chef Valentina Harris, this type of sauce is her sugo di vacanza (holiday sauce): diced tomatoes left to macerate in oil and herbs while people go to the beach. By the time they return, the sauce is ready to mix with pasta.
Tips for Best Results
Use a selection of tomatoes: sweet cherry tomatoes for sweetness, fleshy varieties for body, and harder, slightly green tomatoes for texture. For courgettes, smaller dark green or pale green/yellow varieties tend to be sweeter and juicier. Remember to carry over some starchy pasta water to help soften the vegetables and bring the dish together.
