08/27/2026
Italy’s Favorite Pasta Salad from Puglia Italy! 🇮🇹 Cooking Italian With Joe Borio.
The ultimate summer pasta salad from Puglia — fresh, bright, and packed with garden flavors. Known in Italy as, Pasta Alla Crudaiola. No heavy dressing, just warm orecchiette tossed with raw tomatoes, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, ricotta salata, and basil. It’s the dish Italians pack for the beach, bring to every outing, and serve as a side or main all summer long.
Recipe and Ingredients (serves 4–6)
1 lb cherry or small tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small shallot, peeled
1 whole organic lemon, washed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ lb ricotta salata (or ricotta dura / hard dried ricotta)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
15–18 fresh basil leaves (reserve 3–5 for garnish)
1 lb orecchiette pasta (fresh or dried)
Method
Place the cut tomatoes in the bottom of a large serving bowl.
Microplane the shallot directly over the tomatoes.
Zest the entire lemon over the tomatoes — this gives a beautiful summer aroma and just a tinge of bright acidity.
Microplane the garlic over the tomatoes.
Grate the ricotta salata over everything.
Sprinkle the salt (try not to let it sit directly on the tomatoes so they don’t release too much liquid) and the black pepper.
Take the basil leaves (holding back 3–5 for the top). Gently roll them in your hands to release the oils, then tear most of them (leave a few whole) and scatter over the bowl.
Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of well-salted boiling water. Use plenty of water and stir vigorously right away and every minute so the pasta doesn’t stick.
Fresh orecchiette: 3–4 minutes
Dried orecchiette: 9–11 minutes
As soon as the pasta is al dente, drain it well (no need to reserve pasta water) and immediately place it on top of the tomato mixture.
Gently and slowly stir everything together. The heat from the pasta will slightly melt the cheese and wake up the basil. Let it sit 1–2 minutes, give another gentle stir, rest another minute or two, then finish with one final very gentle stir.
Tear or place the reserved basil leaves on top for presentation.
Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. It’s perfect alongside grilled meats or as a light main. Leftovers keep well sealed in the refrigerator for several days.
Orecchiette (“little ears”) is traditional in Puglia for a reason — the shape and texture grab every bit of flavor while staying satisfyingly chewy.
✨🙋♂️Cooking Italian With Joe Borio here in beautiful 🇮🇹 Vico Del Gargano, Puglia Italy! 🇮🇹
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Grazie mille! 🌿💜
