Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

Even with fall upon us, I wanted to share this caprese pasta salad recipe.  I made this for a BBQ gathering at my friend’s house over the summer.  This salad was a great accompaniment to the amazing spread of grilled chicken, steak tips and veggies for dinner.  It is a simple, yet elegant salad that is full of fresh flavors. 

The combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil is a classic combination.  So adding in some pasta, one of my favorite carbs, was a no brainer.  The pasta absorbs the sweet balsamic dressing while the salty mozzarella seasons the juicy tomato.  Also, make sure you use fresh basil in this dish to pull all of the flavors together. 

Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

Serves 8 -10 (as a side dish)

1 lb. pasta (any shape, I used wheat)

5 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced

15 large basil leaves, chopped

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Salt

Pepper

3-4 tablespoons balsamic dressing

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil.  Once at a rolling boil, add in pasta and cook for 7-9 minutes, or until al dente.  Strain the pasta and set aside to cool down to room temperature. {If you are in a rush, you can run the pasta under cold water to help the cooling process}

While the pasta is cooking, in a small bowl mix the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, salt and pepper to taste. 

In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.  Toss together with the balsamic dressing.  The dressing amount is completely up to you and your preference.  If this salad is made in advance, have additional dressing on hand as the pasta will absorb the dressing over time.   

Provencal Tomatoes Recipe

With the last of the Summer tomato harvest upon us, I wanted to do something very special.  I have all of Ina Garten’s cook books {yes, I am a huge fan}, so I went to them for inspiration and a delicious recipe that would show off the brilliant red tomatoes from our local CSA farm. 

This tomato recipe has it all; fresh herbs, garlic, bread crumbs and cheese.  Everything is so much more amazing when there is Gruyere cheese involved!  The bread crumb stuffing absorbs the amazing tomato juice that is drawn out through the cooking process, plus the melted cheese on top is the icing on the cake...or tomato. You won’t be disappointed with this delicious side dish.   

Recipe By Ina Gartin

Serves 6-8

6 ripe tomatoes (2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter)

1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)

1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and black pepper

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400^oF.

Cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and, with your fingers, remove the seeds and juice. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, scallions, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the tomato halves generously with salt and pepper. With your hands, fill the cavities and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they're tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 seconds more.

Enjoy!

Tips:

1)      Ina Garten’s original recipe suggests using fresh bread crumbs from 5 slices of white bread.  I just had panko on hand, so substituted the panko into the recipe. 

2)      If you don’t have or can’t find Gruyere cheese, substitute with Asiago, mozzarella or your favorite cheese.

3)      I used large tomatoes, but if you just have cherry or grape tomatoes, I think those would work fine too.  Just cut them in half and place them on the bottom of the casserole dish, then sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over top and sprinkle cheese. 

Provencal Tomatoes Recipe

Chopped Caprese Salad Recipe

Summer is getting closer! That means lots of fresh garden tomatoes and amazing salads.  Tomatoes are the essence of summer and can accompany so many dishes.  Even though the weather up here is just starting to reach 60^o, I couldn’t resist the grape tomatoes at the grocery store today.  I had some fresh mozzarella cheese left over from pizza night, so the only proper way I could think to use these ingredients was in a fresh caprese salad.  The simplicity of this salad makes it so beautiful to look at and eat. 

Chopped Caprese Salad

1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons basil
salt & pepper

Simply mix all of the ingredients listed above and season to taste with salt and pepper.  It is best if you can make this 10-20 minutes before serving to allow for the flavors to meld together.   

Tips:
      1)  Fresh basil is best, but I used dried basil for this recipe b/c it is what I had on hand
      2)  The recipe measurements above can just be used as a guide.  The recipe above will serve 2 people, but if you want more or less adjust it to your taste.
     3.)  If you don't have grape tomatoes on hand, use any kind of tomato you have.