Simple Warm Caprese Pasta

Nothing beats a pasta dish that’s easy to put together and tastes so fresh with flavor that burst with every bite! This Simple Warm Caprese Pasta nails it!

I love pasta and growing up in an Italian family, we ate it often. Now when I crave pasta but I’m not interested in spending a lot of time in the kitchen or in a heavy sauce, I reach for this Simple Warm Caprese Pasta.

The list of ingredients you’ll need are few: pasta, shallot, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a little seasoning. See? Simple!

I have a lot of recipes for pasta with different sauces: Pasta with Sausage and Rapini, Homemade Pasta with Vodka Sauce and Pasta with Short Ribs and Ricotta, and Pasta with Smashed Peas and Ricotta.

I love them all! And I’m also loving Simple Warm Caprese Pasta. I’m sure you’re familiar with a Caprese salad that includes fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and typically a drizzle of balsamic dressing.

Simple Warm Caprese Pasta

The recipe is so easy. You basically cook the shallot, garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil. Next, you’ll add a little of the water the pasta is cooking in and a tad more olive oil.

When the pasta is cooked, you drain it, add it to the tomato mixture and remove it from the heat.

Next, you’ll add the mixture to a large serving bowl, toss in the pearl mozzarella, season, toss, and garnish with fresh basil. The heat from the pasta will warm and slightly melt the mozzarella. So simple and so good!

Your favorite pasta mixed with fresh tomatoes, basil, a bit of melty mozzarella cheese and seasonings? Nice!

It’s almost as easy to make this pasta dish as it is the famous salad. The ingredients are so simple, and sometimes that’s when dishes taste best – who doesn’t love an uncomplicated, flavorful, and filling dish?

What You Need to Make Simple Warm Caprese Pasta

1. Pick up your favorite pasta. You could use spaghetti, but I like to use a smaller pasta like rotini. What better way for the sauce, with its bits of shallot and garlic, to stick to every bend and twist of the pasta.
2. I used a shallot instead of onion for this pasta because the flavor is a little less intense and more subtle. You can absolutely use onion for this recipe if you’d like (or if that’s all you have – it great to use what’s on hand instead of heading out to the store). Since this is a simple pasta dish, I wanted the flavor to be tasty and tame.
3. Pick up a pint of grape tomatoes. You can use cherry tomatoes, which are a little juicier and sweeter than grape tomatoes. Again, I had grape tomatoes so I’m sticking with them.
4. Have you seen pearl mozzarella? They’re small balls of mozzarella (“perline” in Italian due to their pearl-like shape). The pearl mozzarella I used came in a type of shrink-wrapped package. Once you open the package, you simply separate the “peals.” Some perline mozzarella comes packaged in containers with liquid. If you can’t find these, simply cut fresh mozzarella into 1/2-inch pieces.
5. Almost everyone I know told me about allll the basil they grew this summer! And why not – it’s so fragrant! If you weren’t one of the folks with basil from the garden, pick up a little bunch of basil from the store.  

When you need a quick dish with simple ingredients try Simple Warm Caprese Pasta. I hope you love this as much as I do!

Patricia - Grab a Plate

Yields Serves 4

Simple Warm Caprese Pasta

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5 based on 3 review(s)

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces favorite pasta
• 3-1/3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pints grape tomatoes, sliced in half (you could use cherry tomatoes, too)
• 8 ounces mozzarella pearls (or diced fresh mozzarella)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 shallot, diced
• Salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste
• 4 leaves fresh basil, torn, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook your pasta, and while it’s cooking begin the sauce.
2. Add about 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the shallot and cook until it softens, then add the garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper. Stir and allow the tomatoes to cook for several minutes.
4. Add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the tomato mixture and stir, continuing to cook.
5. Use the back of a wooden spoon to lightly press down on the tomatoes.
6. Add about 1-1/2 tablespoons of olive oil to the tomato mixture.
7. When the pasta has cooked, drain it and add it to the tomato mixture and toss to combine.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and add to a large serving bowl.
9. Toss in the pearl mozzarella, season with a bit more salt, black and red pepper to taste, toss, and garnish with fresh basil.
10. Serve immediately in individual bowls.

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