Basil and Pecorino Sauce

Don Antonio's Sugo al Basilico e Pecorino with Ricotta

The Sugo al Basilico e Pecorino by Don Antonio is a creamy tomato sauce from the Casina Rossa workshop in Roccascalegna, refined with ricotta and savory Pecorino Romano made from sheep's milk. Out of the 6 varieties on our shelves, it is the only one in which the cheese is cooked into the sauce rather than added to the finished plate.

Sugo al Basilico e Pecorino is the creamy tomato sauce by Don Antonio from Roccascalegna in Abruzzo. It combines the freshness of basil with the mildness of ricotta and the saltiness of Pecorino Romano. The sheep's milk cheese makes this a jar that functions as a complete meal in its own right.

Creamy, salty, with the piquancy of sheep's milk

Fresh basil and slightly aged Pecorino rise from the jar, underscored by the mild creaminess of ricotta.

The sauce coats the pasta in a creamy and savory way; the Pecorino provides salt and a fine sharpness, the ricotta rounds it out, and the basil maintains the freshness. The cheese is cooked with the sauce here instead of being added at the table, causing it to melt completely into the tomato.

This makes the difference compared to a sauce over which you grate Parmesan. The seasoning is evenly distributed rather than sitting on top in flakes, reaching even the pasta at the bottom of the bowl.

Of all the varieties in the range, this is the most full-bodied and, at the same time, the one where the tomato has the least room. The space that the fruit lacks belongs to the cheese—you can taste the calculation immediately, and it pays off.

For tubular pasta, cannelloni, and lasagna

This creamy sauce finds its place with penne and rigatoni, as a filling for cannelloni, or as a layer in lasagna.

The rough bronze-cut surface of the Mezze Maniche from Azienda Guerrieri holds it well; add a few basil leaves on top. For cannelloni and lasagna, it is sufficient on its own, completely without additional béchamel, because the ricotta and Pecorino provide the binding. If you like, fold in some spinach or fried zucchini at the end.

When heating, gentle heat is sufficient to keep the ricotta creamy and prevent it from curdling; a brief simmer is enough, then remove the pan from the fire. More varieties can be found in the Don Antonio collection, and more sauces in the Pasta Sauces section.

Cheese that melts right into the sauce

Ricotta and Pecorino Romano come from sheep and cow dairy farms in the vicinity of Roccascalegna in the province of Chieti.

The two work against each other and that is precisely why they complement each other. Pecorino Romano is a hard cheese made from pure sheep's milk, heavily salted and aged for months. Ricotta, on the other hand, is made from whey and contributes mildness instead of salt.

Ricotta curdles as soon as it gets too hot, which is why it is added late and at a moderate temperature in this recipe. This also explains the advice for your own kitchen: what was carefully stirred in at the workshop can be ruined in the pan within a minute if overheated.

Of the 6 varieties on our shelf, this is the only one containing dairy; those cooking vegan should reach for one of the others. All 6 come in the same 480-milliliter milk bottle with a white paper cap and red ribbon. In this very form, Abruzzese families used to store their preserved sauce for the winter.