Perfecting Pasta Caprese

Last Christmas, my hubby gave me a book of classic Italian recipes as a stocking stuffer. In it there are some quintessential meat-free Italian recipes included. I started flipping through it yesterday after having dreams that he and I were on a vacation in Italy (I think that’s a sign that we should really go there soon!), and a recipe for pasta caprese caught my eye.

I’ve made caprese in many forms and fashions — as the classic salad, a chopped heirloom salad, a panini, risotto dish, and yes, as a pasta meal. I love the simplicity of it: some good olive oil, tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and sometimes balsamic vinegar. It never fails as a great combo, especially in warm weather. But this book had a tip noted in there that I’ve never done before:  freezing the mozzarella for just about 10 minutes so that it doesn’t melt (or as they say, turn into bubble gum) when you mix it in with the hot pasta. I was curious about this trick, and I simply had to give it a try.

I followed their recipe and only made one exception: I added balsamic vinegar to the tomato mixture for an extra kick. I felt that wine was a necessity to this meal, so I paired a glass of California Riesling with dinner to compliment the dish.

Perfecting Pasta Caprese

Cook's Italian Favorites

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 6

Calories 500 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 lb penne or other short shaped pasta
• 1/4 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 small shallot minced
• 4 medium vine ripe tomatoes cored, seeded, and diced
• 12 oz fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

 

• Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, shallot, 1/2 TSP salt, and 1/2 TSP pepper together in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and toss to combine. Set aside and let tomatoes marinade.
• Cook pasta according to directions.
• Meanwhile, places mozzarella cubes on a plate and put in the freeze for about 10 minutes, or until slightly firm.
• Add pasta and mozzarella cubes to tomato mixture, tossing to combine. Stir in basil and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 20gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gFiber: 3g

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