This is one of the first meals I ever made for myself, all on my own.

I was living in Fremont, Seattle with a couple of friends, circa 2008. Back then I was far from healthy. My friends poked fun at how often I ordered pizza (we calculated 2.5x a week on average), my staple breakfast was a bagel and sugary latte from Starbucks, and my lunch was almost always a Lean Cuisine.

One day I started watching the Food Network and Giada (IYKYK) was making this pasta that looked delicious. It had one of my all-time favorite combos- mozzarella + tomato + basil – and it looked REALLY easy, even for me.

I went to the store, got the goods, and gave it a shot, and I was astonished!

Not only was it absolutely delectable, I was able to make it without even following her recipe; it was THAT easy. And it took me a total of 15 minutes.

I have continued to make this pasta over the last decade and a half, throwing it together on a Sunday when I want something fresh but something I don’t have to think real hard to make.

And now that I actually do know how to cook and understand what produce is fresh during which parts of the year, I have started to really appreciate this easy dinner during the summer and early fall. There is nothing better than putting this recipe together when the tomatoes in your garden are overflowing and the basil is at peek ripeness. I even occasionally throw some spiralized zucchini in with the regular noodles this time of year because, well, what else are we to do with the boatloads of zucchini that are being harvested right now?

The only thing I have changed up since starting to make this recipe back in the day is the noodles. I used to make this recipe with processed white noodles that were full of pesticide filled gluten.

Today, I stick to a few options for noodles…

• Tolerant– They make noodles just out of beans. The texture holds up but the flavor is different than white noodles.
• Banza– Mostly just chickpeas in these noodles but taste more like a normal noodle. These have a nice texture but are a bit softer than normal noodles.
• Rice + Quinoa Noodles- I can find these at Trader Joe’s or some other grocery stores. I enjoy the flavor, though slightly different than processed white noodles. The texture is a tad different but pretty close.
• jovial– These are becoming more common at my grocery stores but can certainly be found at Whole Foods. They are just organic rice and are the closest thing to the standard white noodle I’ve found as far as taste and texture.
• Zoodles- If you are looking for something a little lighter and fresher, opting for zucchini noodles is a delicious choice. Do not boil the noodles, just saute them for 2 minutes in a little olive oil over medium-low heat, until aldente.

While this recipe was originally create from Giada’s recipe, I have made some changes over the years to make it slightly healthier and easier. However, I do want to give credit to Giada as her recipe was the inspiration behind the recipe you see below.

Ok, onto the recipe!

Warm Caprese Pasta Recipe

Makes 4 small servings, takes about 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz of pasta of choice (see bullets above)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or any of your favorite, slightly sweet tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
• 4 oz of fresh mozzarella*, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place a medium-large pot over high heat until it starts boiling. Add pasta and cook according to the package. Remove from heat, strain, place back in the pot and set aside.
2. As the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a large pan and place it over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes to the pan, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cook until they just start to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook. You want them to still be a bit solid. Add the basil and cook for another minute, or until just starting to wilt.
3. Add the tomato and basil mixture to the pot with the pasta. Stir and then add mozzarella. Stir the mozzarella in so that it just starts to soften but doesn’t start to fully melt. You want it to stay chunky. Top with more salt and pepper as needed and serve!

*This HAS to be fresh mozzarella, not the pre-shredded mozzarella or the kind you find in large cubes. You want the fresh logs or balls of mozzarella, otherwise the recipe is half as good.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do and that it will become a staple in your summer and fall recipe routine! Or heck, eat it year round as I do!

Let me know what you think of the recipe by leaving your comments below!

XO,

Kelsey