Going back to the office after the holidays can be a real nightmare, but the Italian colors and tastes of the recipe of the tricolored pasta (tricolored is also another way to refer to the Italian flag, which features three colors) can make it all better.
The green from the pesto, the white of the buffalo mozzarella and the red of the tomatoes are the colors that characterize this delicious dish. The ingredients featured in this recipe not only make the dish easy on the eyes but also on the health as it contains useful nutrients.
The tricolored pasta is a first course usually prepared on the Italian Republic Day, which is celebrated on June 2 and on the Tricolour Day or National Flag Day which occurs on January 7. Despite that, it is also a great dish to have during the summer time and when back in the office because it is so easy to prepare and just as easy to transport, also it can be consumed hot, warm and even cold!
Which Italian tomato to choose?
Tomatoes can be considered one of the main symbols that has made Italian kitchen famous all around the world. They are the protagonist of several dishes such as pizza, focaccia, pasta, ragù and bruschetta and they are considered to be a functional food as it contains lycopene, a potent antioxidant. A museum has been dedicated to this vegetable, located in Corte di Giarola, between Collecchio and Ozzano Taro, an area historically associated to the production of tomatoes, in the Parma province.
What are the main tomatoes cultivated in Italy and which can be used in the recipe of the tricolored pasta? Let us find out about all the different kinds of local tomatoes and depending on your taste you will be able to pick which one to use for your dishes.
- Intense flavor, San Marzano tomato is the Italian excellence produced in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese and it is one of the most wanted in the world.
- If you just can’t stop then it must be Ciliegino (cherry) tomato. It is the classic small and round tomato, the most famous being the Pachino Igp tomato, cultivated on Sicily’s east coast. It is a great condiment for pasta that is hard to resist to, especially when it comes to three-color pasta.
- To make salad and delicious bruschettas then you will have to opt for Datterino. But because this type of tomato is rich in carbs it lends itself particularly well for the making of tomato sauce typical of Southern Italy.
- The tomato from Piennolo del Vesuvio comes with a particularly intense color that reminds the color of the lava responsible for the destruction of Pompeii and with a sweet and firm pulp that gives a sour aftertaste. It is cultivated on the Vesuvius and its name comes from the “piennolo” (pendulum) conservation technique, which means that tomatoes look like pendulums. In recent years, a new variety, called gold variety, has been taking over and it comes with a sweet flavor.
- Among the most popular tomatoes there is the Grappolo kind which has a round and smooth look to it, ideal to be consumed fresh and for preserves.
- Half way between a cherry tomato and a vine tomato, there is the Camone di Sardegna, with its sweet, salty and sour flavor combined with a crunchy texture.
- Big, firm and fragrant with a wavy surface is the Costoluto tomato. The most popular is the one from Florence. A local variation of the Costoluto is the Canestrino di Lucca which takes its name from the shape typical of the canestro (basket).
Now that you are aware of all the amazing varieties you can choose from for your tricolored pasta, what are you waiting for? Get ready!
The recipe of the tricolored pasta
Ingredients for 4 people
● 300g whole wheat pasta
● 250g buffalo milk mozzarella
● 400g cherry tomatoes
● 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
● 100g pesto
● basil leaves
The preparation steps for the recipe of the tricolored pasta are very easy:
- Cut in small pieces that buffalo milk mozzarella and the cherry tomatoes.
- Put the pasta in boiling water and let it cook according to the times specified on the packaging, remember that each type of pasta can vary in terms of cooking time so double check the label.
- Once you have drained the pasta you can add the oil, mozzarella pesto, tomatoes and basil leaves.
Last but not least, you make sure to enjoy this wonderful pasta Made in Italy and with love!