Pasta alla Sorrentina

You’ll love tucking into a bowl of pasta alla sorrentina which is full of sweet, juicy, ripe tomatoes, garlic, and cheesy flavor with hints of red pepper flakes and basil; this is a great vegetarian dinner idea. When we discovered this dish in Sorrento, we knew we had to make it when we got home; years later, we think we’ve tweaked the recipe to perfection!

Authentically Italian, simple, delicious, and so very satisfying!

This wonderful Italian meal is easily prepped and cooked in just 45 minutes and tastes so good.

You may have heard of a gnocchi alla sorrentina recipe, but ours uses paccheri pasta and is so simple and easy to make.

Pasta alla sorrentina ingredients

In our pasta all sorrentina, we use fresh garlic cloves, perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, sugar, butter, paccheri pasta tubes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and pecorino cheese.

How do I make pasta alla sorrentina?

To make our pasta alla sorrentina recipe, you’ll need to follow our simple instructions.

We always start with preparing the ingredients; this way, they are ready to use exactly when you need them.

Roughly slice your garlic cloves.

Wash your cherry tomatoes and pick the basil leaves.

Chop fresh mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella into cubes.

Then, you’ll need to start a large pan of boiling water; make sure you salt it well.

Cook your paccheri pasta according to the instructions on the packet, remembering you want the pasta to be al dente.

Next, take a frying pan or skillet and add extra virgin olive oil and garlic slices.

On medium-low heat, heat the oil and garlic just slightly.

When you can see the garlic starting to bubble slightly, it’s time to add your cherry tomatoes and basil leaves and increase the heat slightly to medium heat.

Add red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar, and stir until the skins of the tomatoes start to split open.

You need to ensure that your garlic does not brown while you are cooking, as it will become bitter. If it starts to brown, then add a tablespoon of water.

When your tomatoes have split, it’s time to smash half of them using the back of a wooden spoon.

Now add butter and stir until it has combined.

As soon as your pasta is ready, spoon it out of the water with a slotted spoon allowing the water to drain back into the pot.

Do not throw the pasta water away, as you’ll need it.

Add the drained pasta into your frying pan or skillet and stir to make sure it’s fully combined with your fresh tomato sauce.

Now add a ladle of your pasta water to the pan and cook the pasta in the sauce for around 2 minutes.

Season with sea salt and pepper.

Now remove the pan from the heat and add your mozzarella cubes.

Stir it in; the heat from the pan will soften it, but if it doesn’t, just return the pan to low heat to help it along.

Serve your pasta alla sorrentina immediately, with freshly grated pecorino cheese and fresh basil thinly sliced or torn into pieces.

Is mozzarella vegetarian?

Yes, buffalo mozzarella is 100% vegetarian.

It’s made from the milk of Italian buffalos.

We also serve our pasta alla sorrentina with pecorino cheese rather than Parmigiano Reggiano, as parmesan cheese is not vegetarian.

How do I cook pasta?

Pasta is best cooked in a pan of boiling water with a pinch of salt.

You’ll need to check the instructions on your packet, and it’s usually best served slightly al dente, which means that when you bite into it, it should still be a little firm.

What is paccheri pasta?

Paccheri can often be called schiaffoni too. It’s a large pasta, imagine a macaroni and super size that, and you have paccheri pasta.

It’s pronounced ‘pa-KER-ee’, and it’s great for pasta dishes with thick sauces.

What can I substitute paccheri pasta tubes for?

If you’re cooking alla sorrentina pasta, you can substitute paccheri for another tubed pasta, such as rigatoni or penne.

Fresh cherry tomatoes vs. canned tomatoes

There’s no comparison; fresh cherry tomatoes will always taste sweeter and far better.

However, if you haven’t got any cherry tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes, but the flavor will be different and not as fresh.

It will still make a good simple tomato sauce.

How much salt should you put in pasta water?

A general rule of thumb is that for every 1lb (450g) of pasta, you need 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt.

Adjust it to suit your taste once you’ve cooked pasta a few times but don’t forget the salt added to any sauces you make.

Why do you cook pasta in salted water?

It’s simple to add flavor to the pasta.

If you think about it, pre-packed pasta is often made from flour and water, so you need it to absorb the salt to enhance its flavor.

Recipe notes and tips

• Piccolo tomatoes would be a great substitute for cherry tomatoes.
• Be careful not to burn your garlic, or it’ll have a bitter flavor.

More pasta recipes for you to try

If you love this pasta dish, then why not take a look at these easy recipes; Gigi Hadid pasta, pasta alla norma, penne arrabiata, and mushroom pasta.

We hope you enjoy making our pasta alla Sorrentino and find it an easy recipe to make.

We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below, and if you have any questions, we’ll answer them as quickly as possible.