Crudaiola alla Napoletana

Crudaiola comes from the Italian word crudo, which Treccani traces to the Latin crudus and defines, in its culinary sense, as uncooked. The name describes the sauce, not the pasta: the noodles are cooked, then quickly dressed with ingredients that have not been simmered into a conventional sauce.

Davanti combines small rigatoni with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and hot pepper. The heat of the drained pasta gently warms the condiment while the tomato stays bright and the mozzarella remains soft rather than melting away.

That method is particularly suited to Houston summer weather. It keeps the flavors direct and allows the pasta to arrive at a pleasant warm temperature instead of piping hot.