Cheesy Italian Pasta Shuta Recipe (Pasta Asciutta)
Geeg and Ange Toscano’s Top Secret Pasta Shuta Recipe (Pasta Ascuitta) finally revealed! Bursting with flavor, this authentic cheesy Italian pasta recipe is a classic. It’s one of many Secret Italian Family Recipes and soon to be shared in my upcoming cookbook “Romano Toscano Top Secret Italian Family Recipes.” Geeg Toscano’s pasta asciutta is one of the most googled Italian recipes on the internet.
Pasta Asciutta
The correct name for this old fashioned Italian dish is Pasta Asciutta. Many people do not know the correct spelling or pronunciation of this classic Italian cheese, pasta and tomato sauce recipe. I had to do some research to find correct spelling myself. Lol. This explains why I am calling it Pasta Shuta, so people can find it a little easier.
Pasta Types
Feel free to choose from a list of pastas such as Penne, Fusilli, Mini shells, Tubetti, or Macaroni. Any of these choices will suffice to make this a yummy comfort food. Serve with a crispy Italian Salad mixed with a simple virgin olive oil, oregano and lemon dressing.
Children, and (the children at heart) of all ages will love to eat this fabulous Cheesy Italian Pasta Shuta Recipe!!
Note: Any type of sauce can be used with this recipe. Choose from a basic tomato sauce or a meat sauce. Making pasta Shuta is a great way to use up left over sauce.
Michele Romano Recipes
Pasta Shuta Recipe
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 dozen chicken wings
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ tsp crushed chili’s
- 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
- 3 tomato paste cans water
- 1 – 28 0z can Italian plum tomatoes (blended or chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 small sprigs fresh rosemary
Pasta Ingredients:
- 3 cups dry pasta, small shells, ditali or penne pasta noodles
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1-3/4 cups of four cheese Italian blend.
OR
- 1-1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or Italian parsley, chopped
Preparation:
- In a large sauce pot, fry chicken wings in oil.
- Add onion, garlic and crushed chili’s, fry until onion is soft, careful not to burn garlic.
- Stir in tomato paste, fry for 2 minutes, add tomato paste cans water.
- Add tomatoes, salt pepper, oregano and rosemary sprigs.
- Simmer partially covered for 50 minutes.
- Remove rosemary sprigs and chicken wings from sauce.
- Boil Pasta in salted water until al dente.
- Drain pasta, stir butter into pasta.
- Add approx 4 cups of sauce to pasta. (You can add more or less depending how juicy you want it, pasta soaks up sauce.)
- Stir in fresh basil or parsley.
- Stir in cheese, cover and let sit until cheese melts.
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Live Long and Mangia!
Health Benefits of this Pasta Shuta Recipe
Garlic lowers cholesterol levels and blood sugar which helps prevent heart attack and stroke. When crushed, raw cloves releases allicin, which has been shown to be a more potent antibiotic than penicillin and tetracycline.
Tomatoes: Studies have found that eating tomatoes regularly can cut down the risk of prostate cancer in men. Tomatoes are packed full of vitamins including A,C, and E. They also contain flavonoids (natural anti-inflammatories), mineral salts and potassium. Much of the attention focused on tomatoes has been due to the antioxidant lycopene, which helps to mop up damaging free radicals in the body that can harm our cells.