Cavatelli Con Salsa Rustica


I love summer when tomatoes are flourishing and one of my favorite ways to use them is in a fresh, uncooked pasta sauce. There is something magical that happens when raw, room temperature tomato sauce is added to hot pasta! I have a number of favorite recipe that include this type of sauce and am adding yet another to my list for you to try.

This easy sauce is delicious on any pasta, but worked especially well on my homemade ricotta cavatelli. I like to prepare the sauce at least an hour before I want to use it which allows the tomatoes to release their juices and for the flavors to meld. Like any Italian recipe as simple as this one, the success is in the quality of ingredients you use.

I use ripe, fresh seasonal plum tomatoes, and simply core them and gently squeeze out some of the seeds before I dice them. You want a small dice for this recipe, about 1/2 of an inch in size for both the tomatoes and roasted pepper. You could also add some chopped flavorful black olives to this sauce if desired.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 

Cavatelli Con Salsa Rustica

Cavatelli Con Salsa Rustica

Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

A fresh, light summer pasta sauce perfect for homemade cavatelli.

Ingredients

  • 1 Recipe Homemade Ricotta Cavatelli (Or Store Bought Fresh or Frozen)
  • 1 1/2 Cups Diced Ripe Tomatoes (See Note Above)
  • 1 Large Red Pepper, Roasted, Peeled & Diced
  • 1 Tablespoon Capers, Chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 3 to 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Pinch Of Red Pepper Flakes

To Serve:

  • Grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

  1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and cover and let rest at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
  2. Cook your cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes or until done.
  3. The cavatelli will rise to the surface when cooked. Drain well and toss with the tomato sauce.
  4. Serve immediately, offering grated cheese at the table.

Did you make this recipe?

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3 Comments

  1. Deborah when I see your recipes it just reminds me of how we grew up with these delish recipes. My mother came from Sicily, and most of your soups and sauces ie salsa rustica was such a favorite, and I have been making it a lot this summer with my abundance of plum, heirloom and cherry tomatoes along with my favorite herbs ie basilico, lemon thyme, sage parsley oregano, and my own fresh garlic. I also makde your olive oil and lemon ricotta cakes recently. My freezer is full. Just love all your newsletters.
    Tante auguri, Nina Francis, nee Verga like Giovanni Verga famous Sicilian poet!

  2. Not sure if you are still monitoring the site, but when you click on the https://italianfoodforever.com/2010/08/how-to-make-cavatelli-di-ricotta-step-by-step/ link above it takes you to an Error 404 page. Anyway to make that link active again or PM me the recipe? 

    Thanks. 

    1. Christina, it is fixed. We just did a new blog design launch so there might be the odd link that doesn’t work though I tried to find them all. You can always type in the dish or ingredient you are looking for in the search box if this happens.

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