What we love about this caprese pasta
- This simple pasta dish that is perfect for a casual weeknight dinner or a special occasion.
- The combination of fresh ingredients and classic Italian flavors makes this dish a true standout that is sure to impress.
- We love serving this during the summer months when fresh tomatoes and basil are at their best.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
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- Fresh mozzarella pearls – Larger sized fresh mozzarella will work for this recipe as well, just make sure to chop into about ½ inch pieces.
- Campari tomatoes – You can use roma or grape tomatoes, or any ripe tomatoes you have will work for this dish.
- Fresh basil – Don’t skimp on the fresh basil, this lends a lot of aromatic flavor to the recipe.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this caprese pasta recipe
Cook the pasta according to package directions to al denté, in salted water. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
Sauté tomatoes and garlic. Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes until the garlic becomes fragrant then adding the tomatoes. Cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until tomatoes have become tender.
Return pasta to pan. Stir pasta into the sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary to coat pasta evenly.
Stir in basil and mozzarella. Add sliced basil to the pasta and cook until fragrant. Add mozzarella pearls just before serving, allowing them to melt slightly.
Serve. This dish is best served immediately, just as the cheese is melting throughout the pasta.
Everything you need to know about fresh tomato and mozzarella pasta
Why does mozzarella not melt well?
Fresh mozzarella has a high moisture content and is typically stored in brine making it harder to melt. The slow melting quality of fresh mozzarella is what makes this dish spectacular though!
Is Caprese the same as Bruschetta?
These two tomato based dishes are very different from each other. Bruschetta is an appetizer toasted bread topped with a simply seasoned diced tomato mixture while caprese is a salad dish traditionally made of sliced tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella dressed in light olive oil drizzle. Both are typically seasoned with garlic, salt or other Italian herbs.
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Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 16 ounces campari tomatoes
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
Instructions
- Cook rigatoni according to package instructions until al denté. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes to the pan and season with salt.
- Cook tomatoes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have softened.
- Add a few tablespoons of pasta water, stirring to create a thin sauce. Adding more pasta water if needed.
- Add the cooked rigatoni pasta and sliced basil to the pan, stirring until well coated with sauce.
- Add fresh mozzarella pearls to the pan and stir again until the cheese has started to melt slightly.
- Garnish with grated pecorino romano cheese and serve.
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