Pasta Caprese
Ingredients
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (Start with 2 teaspoons and add more based on your preference and the ripeness of the tomatoes)
1 small clove garlic, minced (About 1⁄2 teaspoon)
1 small shallot, minced (About 2 tablespoons)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 1⁄2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice (I love tomatoes, I tend to use 2-3 nice big beefsteak tomatoes. This is around 3-3 1⁄2 cups once diced.)
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 pound penne pasta, or other short pasta
1⁄4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar (To be added at the end if the dish is not sweet enough. I’ve never had to add extra sugar when I make this in the summer)
Instructions
1. Whisk oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Add tomatoes and gently toss to combine; set aside. Do not marinate tomatoes longer than 45 minutes.
2. While tomatoes are marinating, place mozzarella on plate and freeze until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. (If you freeze the mozzarella for longer than this, you might have a hard time separating it from the plate. This step is crucial as it prevents the mozzarella from becoming a melted and gummy mess when added to the pasta.)
3. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain well.
4. Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and gently toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in basil; adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
Comments
Sometimes I feel like I imagined the Cook’s Illustrated podcast, but it did exist, briefly, in 2008! This recipe was from that podcast and it came right when I was trying to figure out new ways to use all the gorgeous tomatoes I was buying every week at the market. It’s meant to be served warm, not hot, and is scrumptious.
If you use tomatoes that are wetter, you might want to consider seeding them first in order to keep the dish from being too watery.
Shown here with Baked Chicken Breasts with Parmesan-Garlic Crust.
Cook’s Illustrated 2007