Caprese Pasta
Summer is a great time for pasta salad. It's tasty, refreshing, and filled with veggies, not to mention colorful! I'm a big fan of caprese salad, but I don't get to eat it often due to the price of buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. However, after some rummaging in the kitchen and an impulse cheese purchase from Whole Foods, I whipped up this recipe to satisfy my craving.
Caprese Pasta
serves 2-3 people
Ingredients:
6 oz pasta (about half a box of spaghetti or linguine)
3-4 oz buffalo mozzarella, either Ciliegine (little cherry size) or larger balls cut in half/quarters
1 carton cherry or grape tomatos
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tbsp pesto (homemade or store-bought)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Boil salted water for pasta. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, chop spinach into bite-sized pieces and add to large mixing bowl.
3. Cut tomatoes in half and toss with spinach in bowl.
4. Cut the buffalo mozzarella into bite-sized pieces (if needed) and add to the bowl.
5. Add pesto, olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Add the hot pasta to the salad. Toss and make sure the pasta is evenly coated with pesto. If pasta sticks at all, add a bit more olive oil and/or pasta cooking water to make the stirring easier.
7. Taste to check the seasoning - add additional pesto, salt, and/or pepper to taste.
Done!
This dish is best eaten fresh when it has a vibrant, clean flavor. It can be stored in the fridge and microwaved if there's leftovers, but the taste changes slightly when you reheat the cheese and tomatos.
Enjoy!
