Pasta Caprese

Submitted by SusieQusie

"When served, this dish will be very warm, not hot. The success of this recipe depends on high-quality ingredients, including ripe, in-season tomatoes and a fruity extra-virgin olive oil. Don’t skip the step of freezing the mozzarella, it will prevent the cheese from turning chewy when it comes in contact with the hot pasta. If handmade buffalo or cow’s milk mozzarella is available (it’s commonly found packed in water with a relatively short shelf life), skip the step of freezing. Additional lemon juice and sugar should be added at the end to taste, depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil (see note above)
• 2 -4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon (see note above)
• 1 small garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 small shallot, minced fine (about 2 tablespoons)
• salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note above)
• 1 lb pasta (short tubular or curly, such as penne, fusilli, or campanelle)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar (see note above)

directions

1. Whisk oil, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl.
2. Add tomatoes and gently toss to combine and set aside. (Do not marinate tomatoes for longer than 45 minutes.).
3. While tomatoes are marinating, place mozzarella on plate and freeze until slightly firm, about 10 minutes.
4. 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.
5. Add pasta and mozzarella to tomato mixture and gently toss to combine.
6. Let stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir in basil; adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or sugar, if necessary, and serve immediately.

Reviews

[Donnakay]

Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. It is not exact but very similar to a dish I used to order at a little Italian place when I lived in Germany. I've not found a place around here that makes it. It is both light and satisfying. I could eat this several times a week. Thank you again.

 

[Shawnee TX]

We really, really enjoyed this. I used fresh mozzarella balls and a good handful of parmesan and then added some shredded leftover chicken breast to it. A big salad completed the meal. I would love to find a way to get it hot rather than warm...just my preference. This definitely goes in my save file! Thank you!

 

[CoreyAnn]

Even though I know you're supposed to use fresh ingredients, I went ahead and used what I could for it being winter in Ohio! It still turned out really well and I think that even if you use store bought tomatos and basil you can still make this meal and it'll still be very tasty. I can't wait to try this with fresh ingredients!

 

[Dr. Jenny]

We made this the other night, as I just saw this exact recipe in Cook's Illustrated magazine. The marinaded tomatoes and flavors of the dish are very refreshing and tasty, and we really enjoyed the dish. However, next time, I am going to try making this using an artisinal quality mozzarella to see if it gives it more flavor. Even though I froze the mozzarella as suggested to keep it from getting gummy, we did not think it added much flavor to the dish. (This could have been due to the brand of mozzarella that I purchased.) In fact, I sprinkled grated parmesan on top and found I preferred it to the mozzarella. This recipe is definitely a keeper. If I dont think an artisinal quality mozzarella significantly improves the dish next time, then I think in the future, I will just omit it and use the parmesan on top instead.

 

[Montana Heart Song]

Delicious! I used fresh lemon basil. This is the first year I have raised herbs. I did not core or seed the tomatoes, we like all of the tomato.I used Penne pasta and added some dried minced onion that had been soaked in water for a bit. Thanks for posting.