Lockdown Cookup: An Easy Tomato & Parmesan Paccheri Pasta from Da Vittorio Cerea Brothers in Italy

PUBLISHED June 2nd, 2021 05:00 am | UPDATED June 6th, 2021 08:25 pm

Good pasta is an underrated quick meal that does not require copious time and effort, while still not compromising on the satisfaction it brings to the palate. This makes it a perfect lockdown dish. But this recipe is sure to bring your next pasta meal to another level.

This traditional pasta dish hails from the kitchens of the three Michelin-starred Da Vittorio restaurant on the outskirts of Bergamo, Italy. Brothers Enrico and Roberto Cerea have sharpened their knives at famous restaurants across the world, working with legends like Ferran Adria and Roger Vergé. Now, their cuisine embraces rich Italian traditions, keeping things pure and simple, while innovating through modern techniques. Their Paccheri with Tomato Sauce and Parmesan is an embodiment of that, first created by their father Vittorio, and combines a hearty pasta with delightfully sweet San Marzano tomatoes.

Ingredients (serves 4)

240g of paccheri

1 garlic, finely chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, diced

1 stick of celery, diced

200g of San Marzano tomatoes, diced

1/2 tsp sugar

50g of Piccadilly tomatoes, or other baby plum tomatoes

20g of butter

40g of Parmesan, grated, plus extra to garnish

1 bunch of basil

125ml of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

salt

pepper

Method

Step 1: Add the olive oil to large pan and gently sauté the garlic, carrot, onion and celery together until softened. Add the diced tomatoes, some seasoning and the sugar and continue to cook for 35–40 minutes.

Step 2: Once cooked, transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan to remove any seeds.

Step 3: Add the Piccadilly tomatoes, stirring into the sauce to heat through.

Step 4: Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10–12 minutes, or until cooked through, then drain and stir into the tomato sauce.

Step 5: Add the butter and grated Parmesan, stirring until the sauce becomes almost creamy. Pick the basil leaves and stir most through the pasta.

Step 6: Garnish with a few remaining whole leaves, a little more grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Top image: Paccheri with tomato sauce and parmesan (courtesy of Great Italian Chefs)