Angela is a young woman, who goes to the same gym as me. When we first met, she told me that her family is from & still owns a home in Salerno Italy. So, when I decided to focus on the Campania region this month on Diva Eats Italia, I thought of her right away. She told me of a dish that is a specialty of Salerno & that her mother often prepares.
Angela was nice enough to tell me how her mother makes “Maccheroni con i pomodori ripieni.” What that means is, pasta with roasted stuffed tomatoes. The roasted tomatoes are placed on top of the pasta. When they are cut into, the juice of the tomatoes & the stuffing, becomes the sauce. This was new to me, so I was excited to try the recipe. It sounded like something I would love, so in the kitchen I went.
I hate to say this, but I changed a few things in the recipe..(don’t tell her) I added & changed a few ingredients to the stuffing & the pasta. The stuffing has homemade breadcrumbs (which I think produces the best results.) It also has capers, gaeta olives, pine nuts, parmesan & basil. The tomatoes are then stuffed & roasted. (Angela told me that, her mother has stuffed cherry tomatoes to make this dish. That’s a little too ambitious for me, so I opted for the larger variety)
I then heated some olive oil in a pan & browned garlic, anchovy fillets & red pepper flakes. When the pasta was cooked I mixed it with the flavored oil, as well as any juice that was in the pan from the roasted tomatoes. They’re then placed on top of the prepared pasta.
I’m so glad, Angela was nice enough to share this dish with me.
I love trying new recipes, especially when they come from family & friends. It makes them that more special & delicious.
Gusatela!
D I V A
continuare per la ricetta>>
