The name scarpariello comes from “scarparo” that means, in Neapolitan dialect, the cobbler whose job was a very popular in that area of Naples.

It is a very quick recipe, born to give cobblers the possibility to prepare a dish of pasta in a very few time. The two main ingredients are the tomato sauce and the cheese. The first one was the tomato sauce left over the previous Sunday, reused with pasta instead of throwing it away

Many of the cobblers’ customers were farmers and as they hadn’t the possibility to settle their debts, they used to pay with the products coming from their pieces of land. Cheese was one of the product they used to give them and that’s why “scarpari” had to consume great quantity of it.

The ancient recipe, born to reuse the leftovers and to avoid wasting time, today is a delicious dish. Here is our recipe to prepare a good dish of Penne (or Spaghetti) allo scarpariello.

Pasta (penne, bucatini)

Lard or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Garlic

Cherry or peeled tomatoes

Parmesan and Pecorino cheese

Chilli pepper

The ancient recipe says that garlic should fry lightly in the oil or in the lard. Then you have to add the tomato sauce, that at the time of “scarpari” was the meat sauce left over from the previous Sunday, but today cherry or peeled tomatoes often replace it.

When the tomato sauce is ready you have to choose the pasta to use, normally paccheri, bucatini or penne. Once you have chosen the pasta, wait for the water boiling and then put the pasta into the pot. Drain it two minutes before the cooking time.

The last passage is essential because the pasta has to finish to cook in the tomato sauce, in order to add and mix slowly the other two ingredients, Parmesan and Pecorino cheese. When the pasta is ready, add some leaves of basil and the chilli pepper. Scarpariello is easily done, it is delicious and it made us saving some time.