I’m back with another caprese recipe.. I can’t get enough! This is a super quick and easy vegetarian weeknight dinner, but grilled chicken would also go perfect with this pasta.
In the summertime I’m kind of obsessed with anything covered in tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil and this pasta dish is no exception, it’s delicious! This recipe is a very loose recipe, so don’t feel like the amounts of ingredients need to be followed exactly. If the pasta seems lacking in mozzarella, feel free to add more, etc.
Start cooking the pasta according to package directions. I used Linguine pasta because I always have that kind around, but I think angel hair pasta would’ve been better with this specific recipe. Use what’s handy though!
While the pasta is cooking, heat up some oil in a large skillet and saute the garlic and Italian seasonings. Oh my heavens! Your house will smell delicious! For even more garlic flavor, use garlic oil, which is my favorite.
Let the oil cook just a minute or two, until it becomes very fragrant then toss in your diced tomatoes. I used 3 “on-the-vine” tomatoes, so they’re larger than Roma but not huge. Remove the centers and the seeds then dice into a nice petite dice. Throw these into the oil and watch the magic happen. They only need about 60 seconds to cook because you don’t want the tomato to get too soft and soggy, so just until they get warmed through.
Now add in the cooked pasta and toss to coat it in the luscious garlic oil and seasoned tomatoes. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper here.
Toss in the mozzarella and then top with the basil. I bought the little mozzarella balls and cut each into half and they melted just a little when they got tossed with the warm pasta. Chiffonade the basil for the best results and add at the very end so it keeps its bright color.
Make sure you taste the pasta to make sure the seasoning is correct. I added more salt at the end because I really like good salted pasta.
Guys. Yum! This pasta is delicious straight off the stove but can also be eaten at room temperature. Pair it with some crusty French bread and you’ve got yourself an easy and super flavorful dinner.
Enjoy!
Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb pasta
- 3 tomatoes diced and seeds removed (about 1 cup or so)
- 4 oz mozzarella balls cut in half
- fresh basil chiffonade, about 1/4 cup
- 3 T canola or olive oil
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions
- In a skillet, heat oil with garlic and Italian seasonings. Stir around until hot and fragrant.
- add in the diced tomatoes and stir around until heated through, about 1 minute.
- add in the drained pasta with some salt/pepper and toss to completely coat.
- remove from heat and add in the mozzarella and basil
- toss and taste, add more salt/pepper if necessary
- Enjoy hot or served room temperature.
