Caprese Pasta
Caprese Pasta
No time to cook? No problem. Boil the pasta and by time it takes you to shower this could be ready. If you have time to pour wine, you have time to make this. While this is a very simple dish most Italian gardeners can make with ingredients from their garden for lunch, Lidia Bastianich makes a version of it, however, I do not like raw garlic, so adjust this recipe to your own tastes, but the simplicity is perfection.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 pound mezzanine rigatoni or spinach fettuccine
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to boil the pasta
- 1 pint and/or cup of grape tomatoes (cut in half or quarters depending on size)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped or torn)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes OR mozzarella pearls
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padana cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt for the dressing
- RESERVE some of the water used for boiling the pasta if the sauce needs it. (about 1/4 to half cup, 3 ounces approximately).
METHOD:Â
This is all in the prep, simply start boiling the water for the pasta and add all the ingredients to a stainless or ceramic bowl. Â As the pasta is cooking, the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, grated cheese and olive oil are marinating. Â Other than the pasta, nothing is cooked, and once you add it to the bowl of caprese mixture, the mozzarella will still slightly melt and heat the tomatoes, basil and olive oil. Â It is basically a “raw” sauce but delicious and light at that.
