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Spaghetti Alla Checcha From Ristorante Per L’Ora

At Ristorante Per L’Ora in Los Angeles, chef Joey Roacho looked to Italy for inspiration for this delicious, easy-to-make pasta dish.

Spaghetti Alla Checca

Spaghetti Alla Checca from Ristorante Per L’Ora.

When I think of pasta, my mouth usually waters at the thought of a red sauce, vodka sauce, pesto, and a heap of ricotta or burrata. What I don’t often think of is goat cheese.

However, while I was in Los Angeles recently, I visited Ristorante Per L’Ora and ordered a dish that I can’t stop thinking about.

The restaurant, located in Hotel Per La in Downtown LA, serves a version of Spaghetti Alla Checcha based on the Roman recipe—but with a few key adjustments. Often considered a summer pasta that can be served cold, Ristorante Per L’Ora’s version is cooked. Some online recipes call for burrata to add creaminess, but chef Joey Roacho uses goat cheese. This results in a lovely balance of ingredients, with complementary flavors from garlic, tomatoes, black pepper, basil, and the goat cheese.

Roacho says the recipe takes inspiration from a dish he made while working at another restaurant more than a decade ago.

“We used to do a similar dish and I added my twist to it to make it unique to Ristorante Per L'Ora. It also reminds me of being in Rome with my wife under the Trevi fountain having dinner,” says Roacho.

Roacho and Ristoranet Per L’Ora share the recipe with Appetito for those who can’t make it to the LA restaurant but want to try this classic pasta dish—with a goat cheese twist.

Spaghetti Alla Checcha

Spaghetti Alla Checcha

Recipe by Joey Roacho
0.0 from 0 votes
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound 1 spaghetti

  • 1 clove 1 garlic, minced

  • 5 Tbsp. 5 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • 10 oz. 10 Sungold tomatoes

  • 4 oz. 4 Sundried tomatoes

  • 2 sprigs 2 Basil

  • 4 oz. 4 Goat cheese

  • Pepper to taste

Directions

  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan, then add tomatoes and garlic.
  • Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti to al dente, reserving some of the pasta water.
  • Add a little of the water to the pan with tomatoes and garlic, then add pasta to the pan, stir to combine, and remove from heat.
  • Season with salt and pepper, add goat cheese and basil, and serve.

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