1996: Pamela Sherrid’s Summer Pasta Salad
This recipe appeared in The Times in an article by Fran Schumer.
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ to ¾ cup of your favorite olive oil
12 basil leaves
7 large ripe tomatoes
Salt
1 pound dried rigatoni
1 pound fresh, lightly salted mozzarella
Country bread.
1. Take out your largest bowl. Add the garlic. Pour in ½ cup olive oil. With scissors, snip the basil leaves into shreds over the garlic mixture. Let sit all day.
2. About 2 hours before serving, chop the tomatoes and add them to the bowl.
3. When you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into small cubes.
4. Drain the pasta and pour it on top of the tomato mixture. Do not stir. Spread the mozzarella on top of the pasta and toss only the pasta and cheese; the cheese will soften slightly, and the pasta will get coated with fat. Then stir up from the bottom, incorporating the tomato mixture. Season with salt and add the remaining olive oil, if desired. Serve with bread. Serves 6.
2007: Paccheri With Caprese Lobster Salad
By Fortunato Nicotra, executive chef at Felidia in Manhattan.
Paccheri, a large, tubular dried pasta, is available in New York at
Buon Italia and Agata & Valentina.
For the salad:
Sea salt
1 -1 ½ -pound lobster
3 ½ ounces buffalo mozzarella
bocconcini, cut into ½ -inch wedges
1 ½ cups assorted cherry tomatoes, halved (or, if in season, small heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges)
8 large basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the pasta:
¾ pound paccheri
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
1. Prepare the salad: bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the lobster and cook for 11 minutes. Remove the lobster and reserve the cooking water. When the lobster is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shell and cut it into ½ -inch pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, fold together the mozzarella, tomatoes, lobster, basil and olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt.
3. Return the lobster water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook for 7 minutes (it should still be firm).
4. Meanwhile, set a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When it starts to shimmer, add the garlic and sauté until golden around the edges. Add a ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta water to the sauté pan.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the paccheri to the sauté pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the parsley.
6. Divide the pasta among 4 plates (or 6 if serving as an appetizer). Top each with the lobster salad. Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer.