Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Garlic

Ingredients
10 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta; about 3 cups uncooked)
1 pound small tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced into pea-sized pieces

Instructions
1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain and return pasta to pot.

2. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients except for mozzarella.  Add pasta, stir to evenly distribute and then add cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve.  

Comments
This is based on a recipe from Epicurious.com.  I’ve found that it is important to add fresh mozzarella after some of the heat from the pasta has had a chance to dissipate into the tomatoes and other sauce ingredients, otherwise the mozzarella will all melt and clump together and all of your pretty dicing efforts will be lost.  That’s what the original recipe instructed, and I did, so the mozz in this picture had to be taken back out of the pasta, rediced, and stirred back in once the pasta had cooled a tidge.  Learn from my mistakes and add the cheese last :)

I used beautiful orange tomatoes that are about 2 inches in diameter, so I eighthed them.  You want your tomato pieces to be about the same size as the orecchiette.  

Shown here with Mom’s Chicken.

Internet - Epicurious