Rachel Roddy’s recipe for pasta with courgette, onion and raw tomato salsa
A Fresh Approach to Summer Pasta: The All'Insalata Method
Rachel Roddy s recipe for pasta - Jeanne Caròla Francesconi has written a comprehensive yet approachable volume dedicated to Neapolitan cuisine. Within its pages, readers discover several variations of cold pasta dishes featuring uncooked tomato bases—perfect options for sweltering weather. One particular preparation stands out to me: vermicelli all'insalata. The phrasing catches my attention immediately. Rather than the conventional insalata di pasta, which translates directly to pasta salad, the expression all'insalata suggests something more nuanced. It conveys the idea of treating pasta as though it were salad greens, combining it with care alongside complementary ingredients and a suitable dressing.
The fundamental principle mirrors that of any good salad. The cooked noodles should be handled delicately yet completely, ensuring every strand receives an even coating of flavorful components and dressing. This particular recipe emerged from blending two preparations we frequently prepared during warm-weather cooking sessions at the former Latteria Studio. The result combines pasta with courgette alongside a version featuring double tomato sauce.
The Temperature Philosophy
What makes this dish special is its dual-temperature character. The courgette, gently softened in generous olive oil alongside spring onion, provides warmth. Meanwhile, a vibrant salsa composed of raw tomato, garlic, and herbs contributes a refreshing room-temperature quality. Given this year's climate patterns, room temperature has become particularly relevant. Tomatoes benefit from resting approximately twenty minutes before use, allowing their juices to develop fully. Some enthusiasts prefer extended resting periods.
Valentina Harris, a chef and author, describes this preparation as her sugo di vacanza—a holiday sauce. She dices tomatoes and allows them to macerate in oil alongside herbs, occasionally incorporating olives, capers, or finely chopped anchovies while others enjoy time at the beach.
When guests return after several hours, the bowl contains beautifully juicy red pieces ready to combine with pasta and serve immediately.
Selecting Your Ingredients
Tomato variety matters considerably. Combining sweet cherry tomatoes with a fleshier type and a firmer, slightly green option creates interesting textural contrasts. Courgette selection offers flexibility, though smaller dark green specimens or pale green and yellow varieties typically deliver sweeter, more succulent results.
When cooking the courgette, retaining some starchy pasta water proves essential. This liquid aids both in softening the vegetables and in creating cohesion during the final assembly. Regarding pasta shapes, both extended and compact forms succeed. Thin, elongated varieties like spaghetti, spaghettini, capelli d'angelo, and maccheroncini di campofilone create delicate networks. Shapes that capture sauce—farfalle, radiatori, fusilli—or hollowed varieties such as orecchiette and cavatelli work equally well.
Assembly and Serving
Before presenting the dish, give everything another thorough toss. This ensures juices distribute evenly across both pasta and toppings. Additional olive oil can be incorporated if desired, and torn basil leaves should never be in short supply. For an enhanced experience, consider adding dollops of ricotta or torn mozzarella, creating a tricolour pasta all'insalata ideal for warm afternoons.
The hot component consists of courgette and onion cooked until tender in olive oil. The cold element features diced tomato combined with olive oil and basil. Both extended and compact pasta shapes perform admirably, though linguine, spaghetti, pici, farfalle, and radiatori excel at trapping the condiment.
The Recipe
Serves four people
Two large courgettes, three to four spring onions, four hundred grams of ripe tomatoes, seven tablespoons of olive oil, one small handful of basil leaves (torn, with additional portions reserved for serving), one pinch of dried oregano, half a small garlic clove (peeled and finely minced), salt to taste, and four hundred fifty grams of linguine, spaghetti, pici, farfalle, or radiatori.
Begin by bringing a substantial pot of water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Prepare the courgettes by removing both ends, then either grate them or slice into slender batons—a puntarelle cutter proves particularly helpful. If grating, wrap the courgette in a tea towel and press firmly to remove excess moisture. Trim the spring onions, then slice both green and white sections finely.
Dice the tomatoes carefully, collecting any released juices. Transfer them to a bowl containing three tablespoons of olive oil, the torn basil, dried oregano, minced garlic, and salt. Combine thoroughly and allow to rest.
Salt the pasta water, stir, then introduce the noodles. Set a timer following package directions. In a frying pan or wok sufficiently large to hold the cooked pasta later, gently heat four tablespoons of olive oil. Add the spring onion and sauté, stirring continuously, until softened. Introduce the courgettes, stir once more, then fry gently for approximately five minutes. Add a splash of starchy pasta water to prevent browning while encouraging softening.
By completion, the courgettes should be tender and enveloped in a modest quantity of oily juices. Combine everything, toss thoroughly, and serve immediately while the contrasting temperatures shine through.