Summer Caprese Pasta

Nothing is better than tomatoes fresh from the garden, unless it is this years basil. The basil from my garden this year is heavenly. 

So Saturday night I went for a simple dinner. I was in the mood for fresh ingredients but I wanted a hearty meal. The solution? Turn my fresh Caprese salad into a pasta dish! Oh and it was 15 minutes from chopping to plating. How's that for quick and easy?!

Summer Caprese Pasta

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic

2 hand fulls of basil

12 of the small size mozzerella, halved

12 oz pasta (whatever is in your cabinet. I had rigatoni)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it is cooking...

Halve the tomatoes and the mozzerella, mince the garlic, chiffonade the basil.

Heat oil over medium high heat add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and saute two or three minutes.

Add your basil and saute just a minute more.

Add the pasta. Stir to combine and until heated through (less than a minute really). Season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper. Remove from the heat and add the fresh mozzerella.

Divide equally among 4 plates.

Adding the mozzerella while the pasta is still hot gives it this terrific meltiness and an almost buttery mouth feel. This recipe was a keeper. I have a feeling I will be making it a lot this summer!