Tomatoes Mozzarella Basil Sauce Over Pasta Food

BAKED PASTA WITH TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA (PASTA AL FORNO CON POMODORI E MOZZARELLA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas 6 and put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Heat a couple of lugs of extra virgin olive oil in an appropriately sized pan. Add your onion, garlic and chilli and slowly fry for about 10 minutes on a medium to low heat until softened but without any colour. If you're using fresh tomatoes, remove the core with the tip of a small knife, plunge them into the boiling water for about 40 seconds until their skin starts to come away, then remove with a slotted spoon or sieve and remove the pan from the heat.
• Put the tomatoes into a bowl and run cold water over them, then slide the skins off, squeeze out the seeds, and roughly chop. Add your fresh or canned tomatoes to the onion and garlic, with a small glass of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes. Now put them through a food processor or blender to make a loose sauce. Tear your basil leaves into the sauce and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and a little swig of red wine vinegar.
• When the sauce tastes perfect, bring the water back to the boil. Add the orecchiette to the water and cook according to the packet instructions, then drain and toss with half of the tomato sauce and a handful of Parmesan. Get yourself an appropriately sized baking pan or earthenware dish and rub it with a little olive oil. Layer a little pasta in the pan, followed by some tomato sauce, a handful of grated Parmesan and 1 sliced-up mozzarella ball, then repeat these layers until you've used all the ingredients, ending with a good layer of cheese on top. Pop it into the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden, crisp and bubbling. Italians seem happy to eat this dish at room temperature or quite cold, but I prefer to eat mine hot.

TOMATO-BASIL PASTA WITH FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Stir in basil.
• Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on box.
• Stir pasta into sauce. Cook until thoroughly heated. Into large serving bowl, pour pasta and sauce. Gently stir in cheese and pine nuts.

TOMATO, BASIL AND MOZZARELLA PENNE

Steps:

• Put 3 tsp of the olive oil and the crushed garlic into a medium pan and place over a medium heat. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the finely chopped onion and chopped rosemary leaves and cook gently until very soft but not browned. Add the tomatoes, sun-dried tomato purée and bay leaf and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every now and then, until reduced and thick. Season to taste, and remove the bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. Drop the penne into the boiling water and cook for 13 minutes or until al dente. Drain well, return to the pan and stir in the tomato sauce, diced mozzarella and basil leaves. Divide the pasta among 4 warmed bowls.
• Toss the rocket leaves with the balsamic vinegar and the remaining 1 tsp olive oil, pile on top of each bowl of pasta and serve.

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

FRESH TOMATO, BASIL, AND GARLIC SAUCE OVER ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Cut a small "x" on the bottom of each tomato. In batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins are easy to peel away. Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Peel the tomatoes and halve horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds, using your fingers to get them all. Roughly chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Set aside. (You can also use whole peeled canned tomatoes. Simply drain them, seed, and roughly chop).
• Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the thyme leaves, oregano sprig, and chili flakes and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir well. Lower the heat and cook slowly until the mixture is fairly dry, about 15 minutes.
• Cook the angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the Parmesan and basil and toss well. Place in a large pasta bowl and garnish with Parmesan and basil sprigs.

PASTA AL FORNO {BAKED PASTA WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA}

Steps:

• In a large pot of lightly salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, in a 10- or 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes (undrained), oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• After draining the pasta, return the noodles to the pot and pour in the sauce. Toss to combine. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place half of the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella cubes over the top. Top with remaining pasta. Sprinkle remaining cheeses over the top. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. Cook probably 9-10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to seperate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic.
• Add EVOO to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. Add the garlic to the oil.
• Chop onion finely. Add to garlic and oil. Cook, stirring frequently, five minutes or until onions are tender.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low.
• Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a casserole dish.
• Add pesto sauce, 1 cup ricotta cheese and a handful of grated parmigiano.
• Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses.
• Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta.
• Shred up mozzarella and scatter over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of parimigiano to the mozarella as well.
• Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10-12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top (3-5 minutes).

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• First skin the tomatoes - put the tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them and leave for 1 minute, then drain and slip off their skins.
• Reserve 3 tomatoes for later and roughly chop the rest.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then add the onion and garlic and let them gently cook for 5-6 minutes, until they are softened and light golden in colour.
• Add the chopped tomatoes with about a third of the basil, torn into pieces and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper.
• Let the tomatoes simmer on a very low heat, without a lid, for about 1-1½ hours or until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick sauce, stirring now and again.
• Roughly chop the reserved tomatoes and stir them in, along with the rest of the torn basil leaves and take it off heat.
• Cook the pasta as per the package instructions.
• When you are ready to eat, gently re-heat the tomato sauce and stir the cubes of mozzarella into the warm sauce and let it simmer gently for 2-3 minutes only to slightly soften the cheese (just begun to melt).
• Serve the sauce spooned over the drained pasta, sprinkled with the parmesan (if using) and add a few basil leaves as garnish.

TOMATO BASIL MOZZARELLA SALAD

Steps:

• Wash and slice each cherry tomato into halves.
• Add cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to small mixing bowl.
• Dice the garlic clove and add it to mixing bowl with salt and Italian seasoning.
• Add fresh chopped basil leaves.
• Mix in the bowl with the balsamic vinegar until well combined.
• Spoon and serve.