This dish was one I had often when growing up. Sciue' sciue' means "improvisation," so basically you put whatever you want in the pasta and make your own sciue' scuie'. This was and is a staple recipe of my grandfather, who was born in Naples, where they grow abundant quantities of tomatoes. His was a pasta-making family and these ingredients were always leftovers; they became our sciue' sciue'.

8 (½-cup) servings

Salt
1½ cups (about 6 ounces) ditalini (thimble-shaped pasta) or other small tube-shaped pasta, such as elbow macaroni or pennette
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and chopped
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 1?2-inch cubes
8 large fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the ditalini and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and sauté just until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the cheese and basil, and toss to coat. Season the pasta to taste with salt. Spoon the pasta into small serving bowls and serve immediately.