This Caprese pasta with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil is the perfect speedy dinner – only a handful of ingredients and ready in 15 minutes!
My family loves pasta dishes and I love quick and easy dinners. That’s why caprese pasta is a hit in my home. Some other family pasta favorites are cheeseburger pasta and taco pasta.
Caprese Pasta
I love making this pasta recipe all year round, but I especially love it when I have fresh basil and cherry tomatoes in the garden. There’s no better way to put it to good use than with this amazing recipe.
The tomato cream sauce is so flavorful, and has a combination of Parmesan and melty mozzarella, which pairs perfectly with fresh tomatoes and basil. Juicy seared chicken makes it a complete meal, which you can even drizzle with a little balsamic glaze for the ultimate Caprese flair!
Who is loving tomato season?
I sure am! We plant a garden every year and the one thing I must have is at least half a dozen tomato plants. The older girls are old enough now to know not to pick the tomatoes until they’re ripe, and they run to the garden every day to check on their progress.
Once the tomatoes are even somewhat ripe they beg to eat them every day until finally I agree. Not many tomatoes make it from the yard into the house to cook with, but oh well, that’s what the farmer’s market is for, right?
I can’t complain too much because they’re enthusiastically eating produce, got to take advantage of that while it lasts! Whether you grow your own or buy them at the store, this recipe for Caprese pasta is a simple way to enjoy tomatoes.
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
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Slice 24 ounces of cherry or grape tomatoes in half and slice 5 cloves of garlic. Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil and cook pasta for 1 minute less than al dente.
- Heat a large pan to medium-low and saute the garlic in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil until golden (about 2 minutes). Once golden add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes while waiting for the pasta to cook.
- Add 1 cup of pasta water.
- Add the pasta and toss to emulsify and continue to cook the pasta for 1 more minute (until al dente).
- Remove the pan from the heat and add 12 ounces of fresh mozzarella balls. Give the pasta another toss; the residual heat will slightly melt the mozzarella balls.
- Season with salt to taste and add 10 or so basil leaves by hand tearing them into pieces. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of your best extra virgin olive oil. If the pasta is at all dry add a touch more reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- Adding burrata to individual servings of pasta will amp up the creamy factor in this dish. If you’re able to get your hands on some, you could use less or no fresh mozzarella. But why not both though!? Enjoy!
Top tips for Caprese pasta
- The olive oil. We’ll often use regular olive when cooking but since we’re only quickly cooking the tomatoes and using very few ingredients we recommend using this extra virgin olive oil. We also recommend using your best extra virgin olive oil for a final drizzle after plating.
- The mozzarella. We recommend using fresh mozzarella for this Caprese-style pasta. If you can’t find the smaller ciliegine or pearls, opt for a large ball of fresh mozzarella and cut it into squares. This recipe allows the fresh mozzarella to melt slightly but if you’d like it to be more melted, add it to the pan at the same time as the pasta.
- The pasta water. Since there isn’t much sauce in pasta Caprese, we urge you to reserve your pasta water. Saving pasta water is always a good rule of thumb because you never know when you might need it.
- Extras. As pictured above, another serving option is to top each individual plate with a ball of burrata. Burrata will add to the decadence of the dish. Another option is to add a drizzle of balsamic glaze to the Caprese pasta at the very end.
Recipe
Caprese Pasta Recipe!
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Mixing bowls
- pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin linguine or any pasta you like
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 24 ounce cherry or grape tomatoes halved, (this is equal to 2 American dry pints)
- 2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved, (this is equal to 2 American dry pints)
- salt to taste
- 12 ounce mozzarella balls or a large ball cut into bite sized pieces
- 10 basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta until 1 minute less than al dente.
- Heat a large pan to medium-low and saute the garlic in a ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil until golden (about 2 minutes). Once golden add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes while waiting for the pasta.
- Add the pasta and 1 cup of pasta water. Toss to emulsify.
- Once the pasta is al dente remove the pan from the heat and add the mozzarella balls and toss once more. The residual heat will slightly melt the cheese.
- Season with salt to taste and add the basil leaves by hand tearing them into pieces. Drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil. If the pasta is at all dry just add a bit more of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Enjoy!
Notes
Notes
- If you want the cheese completely melted just add it to the pan at the same time as the pasta instead of adding it when the pan is removed from the heat.
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate-size servings.
- Always reserve extra pasta water to thin the sauce in the event it dries out.