Pasta that is forced through a die—as is bigoli, Mantuano’s
original choice for this recipe—can’t be made without a pasta
extruder. And since most of us don’t have a pasta extruder, this
recipe would seem, at first, to be out of reach. (I once tried
extruding pasta with a Play-Doh Fun Factory. It doesn’t work!)
Bigoli has a thick, rough texture that catches sauce well, but it’s
really not that different from fresh pasta rolled through a pasta
machine. So, my suggestion: if you don’t have a pasta extruder,
make this recipe using fresh pasta that you cut into tagliatelle. It’ll
do just as good a job soaking up this bright, acidic summery sauce.
(But if you can get your hands on fresh bigoli, by all means use
that.)
Kosher salt
Extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced extra-thin
2 cups assorted cherry tomatoes (red, yellow, and purple
heirlooms are best), patted dry
Fresh pasta dough, rolled through a pasta machine to the
thinnest setting and then cut into tagliatelle
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole basil leaves
Ricotta salata (about ¼ pound)
Bring a very large pot of water to a boil and salt it aggressively. If
you dip your finger in (be brave!), it should taste like the sea*.