Caprese Pasta Food

ONE-POT CAPRESE PASTA

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes, spaghetti, water, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and oil in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
• Once the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from heat and stir in the basil, mozzarella and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Parmesan if using.

FUSILLI ALLA CAPRESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

PASTA CAPRESE {WITH ONLY 5 INGREDIENTS!}

Steps:

• Start by bringing a large pot of water to boil. Add salt, about 1 tbsp for 3 quarts (3 liters) of water.
• Once water is boiling drop pasta, give a quick stir and let cook until 'al dente' which literally means "to the tooth". Pasta cooked 'al dente' might feel slightly undercooked for anyone who is used to eat well-cooked or even overcooked pasta but in really it just has a slight bite to it.And this is exactly how we want to cook pasta for this pasta salad.
• While pasta is cooking slice cherry tomatoes in half and drain mozzarella cheese from excess liquid. Mozzarella bites should about the size of cherry tomato halves. So if you're using large mozzarella balls cut it in cubes the size of the cherry tomato.
• Prepare basil sauce. Wash and pat dry basil leaves. They should be completely dry to prevent the sauce from turning brown.Using a hand-held blender or food processor pulse basil leaves with extra virgin olive oil and a few pinches of salt until you get a smooth paste. Keep the remaining basil leaves for later to add directly to the salad and if you wish for garnish.
• Once pasta is ready, drain it and quickly rinse with cold water.
• Place in a large bowl with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to prevent it from sticking as it cools. Let cool completely.
• Add basil sauce and mix well.
• Lastly add cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and remaining basil leaves torn by hand. Give a gentle toss and serve.

CAPRESE PASTA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• While the water comes to a boil, prepare the tomatoes: Halve the tomatoes crosswise, squeeze excess juice from the tomatoes into a bowl large enough to hold the pasta once it's cooked, chop the tomatoes, and add the chopped tomatoes to their juices in the bowl.
• Peel and mince the garlic if you want to use it, and add it to the tomatoes. Pour in the olive oil to tomatoes and toss to combine.
• Remove the leaves from the basil stems, stack them up, and cut them crosswise into ribbons .
• Add three-quarters of the basil to the tomatoes; set aside the rest to use as a garnish.
• Dice the mozzarella. Add half of the mozzarella to the tomatoes (it will melt a bit with the pasta) and reserve the rest to add at the end.
• Add enough salt to the boiling water to make it taste as salty as the sea (about 1 tablespoon salt to 2 quarts of water). Seriously, you want the water seasoned enough so that the pasta gets a bit of seasoning as it cooks and brings it to the whole dish.
• When the water boils, add the pasta and cook it until it's tender to the bite. Drain and quickly add the pasta to the bowl with the tomato mixture in it. Toss well to combine everything thoroughly-the heat from the pasta will melt the cheese a bit, the pasta will absorb a bit of the tomato juices, and the tossing will help emulsify the tomato juice and olive oil into a real sauce.
• Divide the pasta between 4 to 6 servings bowls and top with the remaining mozzarella and garnish with the remaining basil.
• Serve and enjoy.

CAPRESE PASTA WITH THAI BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Combine cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and Thai basil in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain pasta and top with cherry tomato mixture.

PASTA CAPRESE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt, red pepper and black pepper; add tomatoes and mozzarella and toss until well coated; let mixture marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
• Cook pasta per package directions; drain; place in a large bowl and add the tomato mixture; toss until well combined, allowing the cheese to melt slightly.
• Serve warm.

CAPRESE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Toss the mozzarella and cherry tomatoes with the Italian dressing. Cover and refrigerate. If I'm making this for dinner, I usually get the cheese and tomatoes in the fridge to marinate a few hours before I plan to assemble the salad.
• In a skillet on low heat, heat the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook on low for 5-10 minutes allowing the garlic to soften (but not brown) and infuse the oil.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Set the pasta mixture aside to cool.
• Once the pasta is cooled, add the cheese and tomatoes along with the dressing marinade. Season the salad with salt and pepper and top with 3 tablespoons fresh basil.