Pasta allo scarpariello, the shoemaker’s sauce.
Pasta with tomato sauce allo scarpariello is a classic traditional recipe from Naples. Originally, created to make use of leftover Sunday ragu, this is a simple tomato and cheese pasta dish that’s easy to put together and perfect for family meals.
Pasta allo scarpariello da Napoli.
Despite the fact that Italians have been eating pasta since Roman times (or even before), the combination of pasta with tomato sauce is relatively recent in comparison. Tomatoes were actually only introduced to Europe from South America in the 16th century.
However, it took a long time for people to stop thinking of tomatoes as a poisonous fruit and start eating them! In fact, the first mention of pasta with tomato sauce was in a recipe from Naples in the 1800s!
Italian kids love pasta with tomato sauce!
Once they started using tomatoes in their food, the Italians couldn’t stop! Today, many people think of tomatoes as being the quintessential Italian ingredient because they appear in so many typical Italian dishes.
Pasta with a simple tomato sauce is probably the most common go-to quick recipe for Italian cooks, housewives and mothers. Italian kids love it! I have seen so many young children eating it in restaurants whilst their parents enjoy more sophisticated food!
Different ways to make pasta with tomato sauce.
Although pasta with tomato sauce requires few ingredients, there are different versions of the recipe. Many Italians just use tomatoes, garlic and basil. However, some add onions instead of garlic and others include onions with carrots and celery too. This Neapolitan recipe for pasta with tomato sauce allo scarpariello is slightly different. The pasta finishes cooking in the sauce which has lots of grated cheese in it.
A little ‘allo scarpariello’ history!
Pasta allo scarpariello is, in fact, one of the most popular and traditional dishes of Neapolitan pasta cuisine. This is a simple tomato based sauce said to have been invented in the kitchens of the Quartieri Spagnoli or Spanish quarter in Naples.
This district was home to many artisan workers including shoemakers. In Neapolitan dialect, ‘allo scarpariello’ actually translates to the ‘pasta of the shoemaker or cobbler’. Food historians say this was a popular lunch time dish among shoemakers as it was something they could eat at their work benches.
Originally, allo scarpariello was a sauce the Neapolitan artisans created to make use of the weekend’s leftovers. The shoemakers (or their wives) stretched what remained of the traditional Sunday ragù by adding a lot cheese to it, probably because most of the meat from the sauce would have been eaten on Sunday!
Cheese made the sauce more filling and was something the shoemakers apparently always had plenty of. I read that shoe repairs were often paid for in basic foodstuffs instead of money by poorer customers.
This quick and simple recipe soon became popular among Neapolitans in general and until today is still often served in homes and restaurants in Naples and throughout Campania!
Changes to the original allo scarpariello recipe.
Over time, the ingredients for ‘allo scarpariello’ have changed. Instead of leftover meat sauce, fresh or preserved tomatoes are usually used to make a basic tomato sauce. Then they add lots of grated cheese and, sometimes, peperoncino (red chilli pepper). The original recipe also called for lard (strutto in Italian) as the fat to cook the sauce in. But, nowadays, most people use extra virgin olive oil which, of course, is healthier.
This pasta with tomato sauce allo scarpariello is an extremely simple dish. However, like many other traditional recipes from what the Italians call ‘la cucina povera’ (the peasant kitchen), it has also become fashionable.
There are even expensive sophisticated restaurants serving it. Michelin star chef Mario Affinita has made it at Don Geppi di Sant’Agnello restaurant in Sorrento. His recipe includes datterini tomatoes, lardo and three types of cheese.
Other versions of allo scarpariello.
Other versions of this recipe also exist in Campania. One is scarpariello salernitano which includes sausage meat and another is scarpariello beneventano which has a bit of cream in it. What you won’t find in Italy is chicken scarpariello. The latter is a popular dish in Italian-American cuisine. It also has very different ingredients despite having a similar name.
What kind of cheese can you use?
Traditionally, allo scarpariello has both Parmigiano and Pecorino in it. I used both of these, but it works with only one type too. However, neither of these cheeses are vegetarian. Both Italian Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano contain animal rennet. So, strict vegetarians will want to use a vegetarian parmesan.
What type of pasta goes with allo scarpariello?
Traditionally the pasta served with allo scarpariello is either spaghetti, paccheri or penne rigate. I made it with penne rigate from Lidl’s Italiamo range. But, you can use lots of other types of pasta. I think fusilli or long fusilli, for example, would be wonderful too!
Let me know what you think.
This is a very simple recipe that takes very little time to make. However, it’s not to be under-estimated. I’m sure you will be surprised at just how delicious it is. If you try it, I’d love to hear what you think. So, please feel free to message or comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
Pasta with tomato sauce allo scarpariello
Ingredients
- 320 g penne or spaghetti (11oz) or paccheri or pasta of your choice
- 250 g datterini or cherry tomatoes (9oz) or canned peeled tomatoes and no passata
- 450 g tomato passata (15oz)
- 1-2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 40 g Parmigiano (1.5oz) grated or vegetarian parmesan
- 40 g Pecorino (1.5oz) grated or vegetarian cheese
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves washed and torn into pieces
- 1 tsp peperoncino flakes (optional)
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once the water starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the crushed garlic until it starts to soften. Then add peperoncino/chili pepper (if using) and some of the basil.
- Add the cherry/datterini tomatoes cut into halves or quarters (or canned peeled tomatoes). When the tomatoes have softened pour in the tomato passata.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes, remove the garlic and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the pasta a couple of minutes less than necessary for it to be al dente (it will finish cooking in the tomato sauce), drain it and add to the sauce. Cook both together for 2-3 more minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Turn the heat to low and add the Parmigiano and pecorino cheese a handful at a time while mixing everything together well. You want the cheese to melt in the hot sauce.
- Serve immediately with fresh basil leaves and extra cheese if required.
Notes
This recipe was first published in 2018 but has been updated with new photos and text.
Other pasta with tomato sauce recipes to try.
- Tuscan pomarola with mixed pasta
- The best spaghetti with tomato sauce ever.
- Creamy ham and tomato penne al baffo
- Calabrian ricotta balls in tomato sauce
CHECK OUT OUR SHOP PAGE.
If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus, while you’re there why not order a copy of one of my pasta recipe cookbooks or check out some recommended pasta making tools? All great prezzies for pasta lovers!
Lauren says
Amazing recipe and so easy to follow! Only added some pasta water to my tomatoe sauce. It was amazing! Love love love it. Thanks a lot Jacqui.x
Tammy says
I love how flavorful yet simple this pasta dish is. It’s perfect for weeknights and special occasions. Delish!
Marie says
The lineup of ingredients in this classic Naples recipe is so delicious, how can you go wrong?? This is another one of those simple but oh-so-lovely recipes you can serve both on a busy weeknight and to guests over the weekend. This has become an instant classic at my house, I’ll be making this pasta allo scarpariello again and again!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
This right here is a bowl of happiness! The whole family loved it! So simple yet so flavorful!
Denise says
I made this tonight and my family loved it! It’s going to be my go to way of making pasta with tomato sauce. Adding the al dente pasta at the end and cooking in the sauce really makes a difference.
Kathryn says
This pasta is so simple and easy to make! We make this at least once a week. So delicious!!
Deborah says
This simple recipe looks so delicious. I love the history you offered about Italians believing tomatoes were poisonous. I’m so glad they realized they were not! Thanks for the history lesson and for the recipe!
Heather says
Oh my! I love just about any kind of sauce but this was heavenly… so simple but so much flavor! Truly enjoyed.
Jere Cassidy says
That surprised me that tomatoes weren’t used until the 1800’s in Italian food. I love a good, simple tomato sauce on my pasta. Right now the pasta shelves are empty, so crazy.
Kayla DiMaggio says
Yum! The whole family loved this tomato pasta! It was so easy to make and the perfect yummy dinner!
Lauren Michael Harris says
Such a simple recipe of pasta, tomato and cheeses, yet so flavorful and family friendly. This will definitely a regular for us now!
Marta says
I loved this pasta allo scarpariello, but even more so I love how you always educate me on the history of the dish. I may not be a shoemaker, but I LOVE buying shoes, so this is going to be my lunchtime pasta, too, LOL!
Annie says
A pasta recipe that sounds fancy but is really quick and easy?? Sign me up! This recipe looks like one my whole family would enjoy!
Cath says
Thanks Jacqui,
I had used ones of those garlic mincers, I realise the difference now from what you described. The crushed garlic would be easier to see.
Cath says
I had this dish when we were on holiday in Italy many years ago and have tried to recreate it. This came very close. But food memories can be deceptive. My one question in how do you remove the crushed garlic from the pan once you have added the tomatoes
Jacqui says
Hi Cath, thanks for your comment. The crushed garlic is usually visible in the sauce and you can remove it before serving if you prefer. Alternatively remove before adding the tomatoes or leave it in. Many Italians like to eat it or they just remove it themselves if they find it in their plate.
James R Mihaloew says
As perfect a pasta recipe as I’ve ever made! Excellent flavors (taste and aroma), and texture with a fine procedure. I made it using Cento Cherry Tomatoes and La Molisana Penne Ziti Rigate but with dried basil (February in northern Ohio!). Keep the recipes coming. I love the regional Italian authenticity. Grazie, Jacqui!
[James R Mihaloew
Strongsville Ohio USA
1 February 2021]
Michael Roll says
Hi, Thank you for this version of the recipe, I learned a slightly different version, from our side of the family, which I would like to share with you: Frying the garlic and chilli’s is perfect. Once golden removing the garlic, and then the chilli once it changes color. This allows the oil to be infused with both. Tomatoes are then cooked as per yours. The difference lies in that the pasta, once drained, is coated in melted butter, and gently cooked bit in this buttery mess. Then half the cheese is added, to melt onto the pasta, and finally adding the sauce. The remaining cheese is poured on top, and finally a few fresh basil leaves to add the aroma.
The result is a very creamy, and initially gentle, not too spicy dish… but the more you eat, the hotter it becomes. This was my “gateway” to learning to appreciate hot and spicy dishes. I love this project, and hope that many more will see it and learn about good food through it.
Jacqui says
Hi Michael! Thanks so much for your comment! I love the sound of your version of allo scapariello! I’ll have to try it! Like many old Italian recipes there are of course different versions. I guess that’s natural when recipes have been around for generations. I love discovering and trying out so many different pasta recipes and of course types of pasta too. And my hope in sharing them here is that others will enjoy discovering and cooking them as well! All the best from Verona!