Red, stringy, irresistible. Pasta alla Sorrentina has the same dressing as the beloved gnocchi, but someone claims it is even better. For pasta lovers it is in fact the perfect combination of a generous savory condiment and a stringy touch that never hurts. It can be prepared in the traditional version, in the oven and in a summer variant, but before thinking about the recipes, we review some rules.

Pasta cooking

To make the mozzarella, the seasoning and the pasta must blend with the cheese for a few seconds. If you don't drain the pasta al dente as expected, we will risk to overdo it and have to settle for a sticky result. So we monitor the cooking of pasta and drain it al dente to avoid problems, even more so if we choose the baked version of the pasta alla Sorrentina.

The preparation of mozzarella

To prevent our mozzarella from "bathing" the pasta sauce, cut it into cubes and let it strain well in a colander half an hour earlier to prepare the recipe. In this way it will lose excess liquids and will be ready to enrich our dish. For an even better result, squeeze it, just like we do when we make pizza.

The sauce

Sorrentine pasta is perfect to use a tomato sauce that you may have put forward the day before. The addition of mozzarella will transform the final result by not making the menu repetitive. If you have to prepare it instead, do it the way you like best, but consider that the result will be better using i fresh tomatoes in tomato sauce. Wash them thoroughly and then boil them in a pan full of water for remove the peel more easily, remove the seeds and cut them into pieces. Prepare a sauce with extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil and salt, cooking in a pan over low heat for half an hour. For an even fresher result, we advise you to prepare it without stirring.

The recipe of pasta alla sorrentina

Prepare the sauce as suggested above and choose your favorite short pasta format. Paccheri, tortiglioni and penne lend themselves to this recipe, but also fusilli if cooked well al dente. So boil the pasta in abundant salted water and drain it a couple of minutes before the time indicated. Pour it into the pan of the sauce you have started over low heat, add the previously diced mozzarella and mix well, serving with a few basil leaves.

The oven variant

Pasta alla Sorrentina is also delicious in the oven. To make it, pour the pasta seasoned with the sauce in a baking dish, add the mozzarella e put it in the oven preheated to 200 ° C for about 5 minutes. Serve it hot.

Raw

A curious variation of this dish is the use of tomato and raw mozzarella. Perfect for hot days and to enjoy an alternative version with long pasta, it is also very fast. While cooking the pasta, prepare one diced tomatoes without peel and seeds seasoned with oil and salt. Drain the pasta, mix it with the diced and serve it adding mozzarella and basil.

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