Spaghetti
con mozzarella e pomodori
Spaghetti with mozzarella and tomatoes
Italians are generally more anarchistic than nationalistic, except when it comes to food. And there is nothing better than a dish in the national colours like spaghetti with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Italians and particularly the area around Naples love the combination of red, white and green food. Caprese salad, pizza Margerita and gnocchi alla sorrentina are the obvious example as is this classic spaghetti napoletana or spaghetti with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Served with a good quality of dried spaghetti, this dish can be ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta. And if you make the spaghetti yourself, you’ll end up with a meal of epic dimensions.
Ingredients
For the spaghetti
250 g flour
2 eggs
A pinch of saffron
For the sauce
1 mozzarella cheese (preferably di buffala)
8 fresh red tomatoes
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Fresh basil
Preparation
Make a volcano of flour sprinkled with a little saffron on a clean table top.
Break the eggs down the middle of the volcano and use a fork to mix flour and egg.
Add a little water if necessary and knead thoroughly
Run the pasta through the pasta machine on max width 10 times to ensure a smooth, elastic dough.
Wrap the pasta in cling film and leave it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour.
Roll out the pasta on a pasta machine while you gradually decrease the width.
Pass the thin sheets of pasta through the spaghetti rollers.
If you use ready made pasta, you can start here:
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
Toss the spaghetti in boiling water.
Wash and dice the tomatoes.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the tomatoes and a little balsamic vinegar.
Drain the spaghetti when it is al dente and mix it with the simmering tomatoes.
Spread fresh mozzarella cubes over the dish and top with a lavish shower of fresh basil.
Sit back and feast your eyes and tastebuds on the simple deliciousness of spaghetti with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Simple dishes always look so good when plated up well – especially with these Italian national colours, too. That looks so tasty and light from here in Fethiye where we’re baking hot. :)
Julia
The summer has been baking hot in south Italy as well, but I’m fine as long as I postpone the cooked meal to about 10 in the evening (when I’m no longer hungry;)