Rigatoni with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Olives
My mom's sister Ioanna moved from Greece to Switzerland in the mid-1990s. She lived in Basel and Geneva before ultimately settling in Lugano. I have particular culinary memories from each city: cheese fondue in Basel, Sprüngli chocolate truffles in Geneva, and freshly caught whole fish in Lugano. But the best dish I ever ate while visiting Ioanna was one she made herself: rigatoni with tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives. My brother and I watched as Ioanna combined four simple ingredients to create the most flavorful bowl of pasta we had ever eaten. It instantly became a family classic, and over the years we've cooked it countless times in our own homes. It never fails to bring back memories of time spent with our family, and it reminds us that sometimes it pays off to spend less time in the kitchen perfecting complicated recipes and more time around the table savoring each other's company.
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes
- 12 ounces fresh mozzarella balls
- 8 ounces pitted Kalamata olives
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- black pepper
- Slice cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls in half. Slice Kalamta olives into three pieces.
- Cook rigatoni in a large pot of salted water until pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain water from pasta.
- Return pasta to large pot. Pour three tablespoons (or to taste) olive oil over the pasta, gently stirring to coat all the pasta in olive oil. Add tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the pasta (2 tablespoons, or to taste). Stir pasta until ingredients are evenly distributed. Season with pepper to taste.
