Savor every bite of this delicious Italian Paccheri Alla Vittorio! Make it with olive oil, garlic, three types of tomatoes, paccheri and parmesan in 30 minutes. Serve for dinner with grated parmesan and garlic bread.
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The rich, smooth tomato sauce and paccheri are the stars of this dish. The sauce is made with three different types of tomatoes, making it flavorful, fresh, delicious and memorable. Make this restaurant-quality dish at home in no time at all. Serve with grated parmesan and garnish with basil. You can also try this tasty pasta alla vodka, Creamy Mushroom Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta and Roasted Red Pepper Pappardelle Pasta recipes.
Why You Should Try This Pasta Alla Vittorio Recipe
- It is ready in 30 minutes.
- This pasta dinner looks and tastes fantastic!
- It can be made with eight ingredients.
- This dish feeds many.
Ingredients
- Paccheri: For this recipe, select good-quality paccheri. I picked up a pack during my visit to Rome.
- Cherry tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe tomatoes and chop them in half before cooking.
- Plum tomatoes: Add one can of good-quality plum tomatoes to the sauce. San Marzano Tomatoes are the traditional tomato of choice but use these instead if possible.
- Baby plum tomatoes: Select fresh ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Garlic: Add garlic cloves to the olive oil. Do not skip this step.
- Olive oil: Use good quality oil.
- Basil: Select fresh unbruised basil. Remove the stem before adding the leaves to the sauce.
- Parmesan grated: Use good quality cheese for the best flavor.
Tips and Substitutions
- Al dente: Do not overcook the pasta. If you do, it will break when it is added to the sauce. Also, the pasta is supposed to be al dente in this dish. Al dente means "with bite."
- Sauce: The tomato sauce is rich and delicious because it includes three different types of tomatoes. If you are in a hurry, you don't have to sieve the sauce, but if you have extra time, I recommend doing it for an extra smooth and delicious consistency.
- Parmesan: Add less or more parmesan to the pasta, depending on your preference.
Recipe Variations
This dish is traditionally made with Paccheri. However, you can make it with different types of pasta too. Try it with spaghetti, fusilli or penne.
Every family has their own spin on this dish, so you may find that some recipes include carrots, celery and different types of tomatoes.
How to Make Paccheri Alla Vittorio
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Add enough to cover the base. Then add three garlic cloves to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
2. Next, pour one can of plum tomatoes and 500g of cherry tomatoes.
3. Add 300g of plum tomatoes to the pan and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook tomatoes for 5-7 minutes or until they soften.
4. Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Then, pour 500g of paccheri into the water. Cook the pasta on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Please make sure the pasta is al dente. It should not be too soft. Check the tomatoes while the pasta cooks. Once the tomatoes have softened, remove the garlic cloves, then use a hand-held blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth.
Optional: Pour the tomato sauce through a sieve for an even smoother tomato sauce.
5. Add 2 tablespoon of unsalted butter to the saucepan, then pour the tomato sauce back into the pan if you used a sieve. Then add the cooked Paccheri to the tomato sauce and toss the pasta in the sauce. Make sure it is fully coated.
6. Add ½ a cup of grated parmesan and ¼ handful of fresh basil leaves to the sauce and stir.
7. Remove the Italian paccheri alla Vittorio from the heat and serve as desired.
Recipes FAQs
It is a flavorful Italian pasta dish with a rich tomato base. Three types of tomatoes are cooked, blended and sieved to make a smooth sauce. Chef Vittorio Cerea created the dish at the "Da Vittorio" restaurant in Bergamo, Italy.
It is believed that paccheri was invented by Sicilian pasta artisans and was used to smuggle garlic into Prussia in the Middle Ages.
If you have any leftovers, add the pasta to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat the pasta in the microwave for a couple of minutes when you are ready to eat it.
More Tasty Pasta Recipes
Italian Paccheri Alla Vittorio
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing spoon
- Hand-held blender
- Sieve
- Grater
Ingredients
- 500 g paccheri
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 can of plum tomatoes
- 300 g baby plum tomatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ¼ handful of basil
- ½ cup parmesan grated
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Pour a splash of olive oil into a pan. Then add garlic cloves to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Next, pour one can of plum tomatoes and cherry tomatoes into the pan and stir. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add baby plum tomatoes to the pan and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook tomatoes for 5-7 minutes or until they soften.
- Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a saucepan. Then, add paccheri to the water. Cook the pasta on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Please make sure the pasta is al dente. It should not be too soft.
- Check the tomatoes while the pasta cooks. Once the tomatoes have softened, remove the garlic cloves, then use a hand-held blender to blend the tomatoes until smooth. Optional: Pour the tomato sauce through a sieve into a bowl. This will make the sauce even smoother.
- Add unsalted butter to the saucepan, then pour the tomato sauce back into the pan if you used a sieve. Then add the cooked paccheri to the tomato sauce and toss the pasta in the sauce. Make sure it is fully coated.
- Add grated parmesan and fresh basil leaves to the sauce and stir.
- Remove the pasta alla Vittorio from the heat and serve.
Video
Bernice
Looks delicious...
Jen Sim
Thanks!
Marcus Avery Christon
It's amazing how much flavor came out of this quick, simple recipe! I can't wait to make it again. Absolutely delicious!
Jen Sim
I'm glad you enjoyed it Marcus!
Marta
This paccheri alla vittorio was the PERFECT busy weeknight meal. I made it the evening before we had a very early flight and it was the best dinner I could've selected. I added a smidge of crushed red pepper flakes to make it a bit spicy and the family loved it.
Dee
I bought some Paccheri at Home Goods but couldn't figure out what to make with it. I stumbled across your recipe and it turned out perfectly. So easy to make yet full of flavor.
Jen Sim
Glad you enjoyed it, Dee!
Jessica
This was quick and easy to throw together for a weeknight dinner and so full of flavor. I love how the large pasta shape catches all of the sauce!
Britney Brown
I don’t say this often but this is one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had! The homemade sauce was everything, especially with some garlic bread and white wine! I will be making this on repeat!