Checca Sauce

Okay, so where to start?... Right off the bat, this gem of a dish scored a '10' on the Hub-O-Meter on his first bite! Checca, pronounced 'kay-kuh' or as I imagine it,  "cake-uh", is an Italian sauce usually made in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak in ripeness. Checca sauce can be included in the culinary meaning of tricolore. Tricolore, refers to the three colors of a flag and is comonly used to refer to different foods and things in Italy. When it comes to Italian food, Tricolore usually refers to the use of tomatoes (red), basil (green) and mozzarella (white). For example, tricolore is most commonly known as a salad. Here it is the mixture of the three as a sauce. Fun Fact: pretty much anything that is considered "Tricolore" can also be considered "caprese" (in the style of Capri). Another interesting detail about checca sauce is that it is an uncooked sauce, tossed with cooked pasta, usually a thin pasta such as spaghettini, Capelli d'angelo (angel hair) or capellini. Though uncooked, this sauce is delicious, QUICK to make, and healthy!

Checca Sauce

• 1 bag of very ripe cherry tomatoes (12 oz, grape tomatoes will work too, though cherry is best)
• 2-3 scallions (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
• 1-2 oz fresh parmasean cheese, chopped
• 6-8 basil leaves (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes (about 1/4 in x 1/4 in)
• 1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
• about 8 oz uncooked thin, tubular pasta

1. Step one is easy: blend everything except mozzarella, salt, peper and pasta in a processer! Done! (Process until tomatoes are chopped up, but do not puree!)

2. Meanwhile, cook your pasta, (angel hair takes litteraly about 4 minutes)

3. Transfer tomato mixture to a medium size bowl, add mozzarella, salt and pepper and give it a good stir.

4. Toss in the pasta and serve! So good!

Photos by the Chocolate Cookie. Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis