In Neapolitan dialect, "sciue sciue" means "hurry, hurry", relating to something done on the run. In summer pasta sciue sciue (say it quickly, as "shoo-eh, shoo-eh") pops up on menus to celebrate the spontaneity and sensuality of fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes. Use the best small, ripe tomatoes you can find, and any pasta you like: spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle, casareccia, penne or fusilli.
Ingredients
350g spaghetti or casareccia
500g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced or grated
good pinch of dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
parmesan for serving
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiled salted water until al dente.
2. Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters. Finely chop the basil leaves.
3. To make the sauce, combine the olive oil, garlic, chilli and oregano in a medium-sized pan over low heat and gently warm through until the garlic "flutters" in the oil. Turn the heat to high, and immediately add the tomatoes and sea salt.
4. Cover the pan and cook for two to three minutes, giving everything a quick toss once or twice, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Drain the pasta and add to the pan. Add remaining basil leaves, quickly toss and serve on warm plates, with an extra swirl of olive oil, and parmesan for grating.
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