A fresh easy-to-make recipe from the Amalfi coast.
This fresh tomato vermicelli di Positano recipe is great for summer. You only have to cook the pasta and marinate the vegetables and herbs. Perfect for vegetarians and vegans, easy, nutritious and delicious!
Have you ever been to Positano? For many Italians and tourists, Positano and the Amalfi coast represent not only the real essence of Italy but Italian cooking at its finest.
The cuisine in this part of Italy is full of delicious seafood, wonderful vegetables and fruit ripened in the Mediterranean sun, as well as meat and cheese from the Lattari mountains. However, for me, it’s the marriage of all this produce with pasta that makes the food in this part of Italy so scrumptious!
Gragnano pasta.
Positano is only an hour’s drive from Gragnano, a city that has been producing what many believe to be the best dried pasta in Italy (and the world) since 16th century. Needless to say that both the quality and taste of pasta in this area is most probably the best you will find anywhere.
For this recipe I used vermicelli made by Garofalo, a company that has been producing pasta in Gragnano since 1789! However, there are many other excellent pasta makers in this area. If you can't find vermicelli from Gragnano, you can, of course, use other makes of vermicelli or even very thin spaghetti. Linguine is also a popular choice for pasta positano!
Pasta recipes from Positano and Amalfi!
The list of pasta dishes from this part of Italy is pretty long, especially when it comes to seafood pasta dishes. However, some of these are not so easy to make at home and in many places fresh seafood is either very expensive or hard to come by.
Having said that, there are many recipes from this part of Italy which CAN be made at home and will definitely appeal to seafood lovers, non-seafood lovers and vegetarians. Included in this list and already posted on the Pasta Project so far are 'spaghetti alla Nerano' (with fried zucchini), 'spaghetti al limone with ricotta', 'creamy linguine al limone' and 'spaghetti alla puttanesca' which needs no introduction to most pasta lovers!
As with many Italian recipes, there are a number of different versions of pasta di Positano or alla Positano. I decided on this vermicelli recipe because it’s so perfect for summer and here in Italy it’s pretty hot at the moment. The forecast for Verona tomorrow is 34 degrees Celsius. So, heavy pasta dishes will have to wait for cooler weather!
Making this vermicelli di Positano.
Not only is this vermicelli di Positano recipe light, but it’s also a super easy no-cook recipe. In fact, you only have to cook the pasta. The rest of the ingredients just need to be chopped and then marinated in extra virgin olive oil for an hour or two. I've found the longer you leave the veggies the better the flavour. So, two hours is actually better than one!
The tomatoes for this Positano pasta recipe.
As you can see from the photos, I used different coloured datterini tomatoes in this dish. However, I have also made it with only red datterini or cherry tomatoes. It tastes just as good! Make sure the tomatoes are ripe but not too soft as the olive oil will soften them.
Once you have cooked your pasta, just mix it with the vegetables and herbs and serve! Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a super dish to add to your pasta repertoire.
If you make this vermicelli di Positano recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
(This recipe was originally posted 12 July 2017, but it has been updated with new photos and text!)
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Vermicelli di Positano
Ingredients
- 400 g vermicelli (14oz) or spaghetti
- 500 g mature small tomatoes (1.1lbs) Red or different coloured datterini or cherry tomatoes
- ½ onion peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled. 1 finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 sprigs fresh oregano
- 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
- salt for pasta and to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop the onion, celery and one garlic clove very finely (I put them in a hand-held food processor) Cut the tomatoes in halves or quarters. Chop the fresh herbs
- Rub the other garlic clove onto the sides of a large bowl that can also accommodate the pasta when it’s cooked.
- Put the tomatoes and chopped vegetables into a large bowl. Add the herbs.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and the olive oil. Mix everything together well.
- Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for an hour or 2 (not in the fridge). I prefer to leave it for at least 2 hours.
- Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again.
- Cook the vermicelli al dente according to the instructions on the packet. (normally 13 minutes)
- As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bowl with the tomato mixture and a little more olive oil if it seems dry. Mix everything together well.
- Serve immediately sprinkled with a little more chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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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 checkout some recommended pasta making tools?
Julia says
I make similar pasta very often because it's easy and tastes so fresh! Like your trick with rubbing garlic clove onto the serving bowl.
Mary Bostow says
Will try to do this on weekend. This looks very light and fresh!!
Gavin says
So simple & fresh - this could very quickly become a mid week regular in our home.
Michelle says
This is just perfect! I can almost taste it, I love all the flavours in this.
henry says
beautiful, delicious dish. i did roast a sliced yellow bell pepper for 20 minutes and added it to the marianade for an extra dimension. also i’m certain that i violated the Italian palate but after plating the dish, i sprinkled some lemon juice liberally over the serving. thank you for another wonderful pasta DISH.
Jacqui says
Very happy you enjoyed this dish so much Henry! Adding a roasted yellow pepper sounds like a delicious idea, even the lemon juice sounds good too!
Deryn says
Wow, so simple, fresh and beautiful. First time on your site...a whole site dedicated to pasta? I'm so into this. haha, I'll be back!!
Ramona says
Waw Jacqui, how I love the looks and the sound of this beautiful pasta recipe - all that fresh herbs! I really could do with that right now - I have plenty of cherry orange tomatoes in the garden that I need to cook - this is just perfect - thank you for your always yummy pasta recipe - truly inspiring - gratzie amica mia! xx
Veronica says
Could it be made with dried herbs???
Michelle says
Fresh, simple and flavorful! So very Positano! One of my favorite places to visit along the Amalfi Coast. The seafood dishes there are spectacular too. Vermicelli is a great choice of pasta. Very versatile.
Stephanie Simmons says
All the best fresh summer flavors in one pasta dish! This looks simple and amazing!
Katie Crenshaw | A Fork's Tale says
I am drooling over these pictures. It is such a simple dish, but still amazing from all of the fresh flavors combinations. YUM!
Melissa says
This looks delish, I love a good pasta dish, especially one with minimal cooking required! My hubby's family is from Italy (the Puglia and Molise regions) so I am always looking for ethnic dishes to make for us to enjoy!!
Linda says
My neighborhood is called Positano although I've never been to a real Positano. But this pasta recipe makes me want to book a trip there! Until then, I will enjoy a big batch of this.
Jenni LeBaron says
I love how fresh and seasonal the ingredients in this are. It's like a garden in a bowl!
Beth says
This looks like such a perfect summer pasta dish! Light and fresh! I have a ton of rip cherry tomatoes, at the moment! I'm making this tonight!
Kelly Anthony says
This would be perfect on a hot summer day here in Texas as well. Love that its light and full of fresh ingredients. Thanks for sharing.
Adriana Lopez Martin says
Vermicelli is one of my favorite pastas and the using fresh tomatoes makes it such a classic. I prepare this dish often at home and my family loves it =)
Gloria says
OMG this is pasta perfection right here. I am not a huge meat sauce person when it comes to pasta dishes. This is right up my alley. Easy, delicious...pour me a glass of wine and this is dinner in a nutshell!!
Stine Mari says
Oh my gosh this looks so yummy! All the fresh vegetables together in a perfect harmony. Adding pasta and it's impossible to resist.
joyce says
Sounds like a delicious recipe! A must try, thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth Gannon says
Yes please add me to your mailing list.
Thank you
Elizabeth
admin says
Hello Elizabeth. Thank you for your message. I have happily added you to my mailing list. You will now receive the Pasta Project newsletter, which at the moment I write once every couple of weeks. The newsletter includes an update of the latest posts and recipes on the blog and any other relevant news. Thank you again for subscribing. Have a good weekend. Jacqui