Pasta Caprese -- Wyoming's Strawberry Festival Pasta Salad Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 5 large tomatoes 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 1 lb penne 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes About 15 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded, plus several sprigs
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Directions: |
Directions:Peel and seed the tomatoes then cut them into small dice. Drain the diced tomatoes in colander for about 15 minutes to remove excess liquid.
In a bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and the cayenne. Toss and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to develop the flavor.
Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and put it in a large, shallow bowl. Add the tomato mixture and toss. Add the mozzarella and basil shreds and toss gently. The heat from the pasta will start to melt the cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs and serve. |
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Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Originally from the Williams-Sonoma Pasta Cookbook. This is what I do to make it even easier: Use can of diced tomatoes Use Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Use diced/chopped garlic (the kind you buy in a little jar) Use fresh mozzarella in the praline size, (it's already small) Use a food processor (the mini one) for the basil ****This is what I do to change it up a bit: Add Perdue Short Cuts Chicken, Italian Seasoned ****I also use this as a pasta salad (this is the one I have been making for The Strawberry Festival for the past four years): Instead of diced tomatoes, use grape tomatoes (1 pint) and cut each tomato in half. Prepare everything else as stated in the easy version, except rinse the pasta under cold water before adding the tomato mixture
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