To me summer means many things: waking up with the sun, lots of sweet watermelon, happy hours on patios, outdoor movies, living in shorts, the smell of BBQs and campfires, white wine spritzers, warm (not hot) nights, and all the good things.

One thing at the top of my “favorite things about summer” list is tomatoes!

I love tomatoes so much, I want to eat them year round. Sometimes I force it, even during the winter when they are hard to find, and when you do find them you are a little scared to actually eat them.

But summer is their time to shine! I love the sweet taste of them raw or the juicy taste of them cooked. I love the pretty colors they come in and how they make any meal look gorgeous. And I REALLY love that they grow so well in my backyard; it almost makes me think I can actually garden.

 

This recipe is meant for summer as it combines two summer staples- tomatoes and zucchini.

I fell in love with this recipe way back when I start my cooking journey. I would whip it up after a long day of work with regular pasta noodles. I honestly think it is just as good (if not better) with zucchini noodles, aka zoodles. If you haven’t worked with zoodles before, this is the perfect recipe to start with! It is as easy as it gets and you won’t make the same mistake I did the first time and try to boil the zoodles- ick!

I hope you enjoy this meal on a warm summer night, outside on a patio or deck, with the people you love.

Caprese Zucchini Pasta Recipe

Makes about 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 handful of fresh basil, torn or cut into small pieces
• 2 zucchinis, spiralized with a blade that makes spaghetti sized noodles*
• 6 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped into bite sized pieces (not shredded mozzarella)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil.
• Add the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until tomatoes just start to soften.
• Add the basil and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the zucchini noodles and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Turn the heat off, top with the mozzarella and gently push the mozzarella into the noodles so they are surrounded but not under them. Leave untouched for a couple of minutes so the cheese softens a tad.
• Serve, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

*If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can buy zoodles in a number of grocery stores now. Be on the lookout for places that stock them!

#lunch #dinner #vegetarian #glutenfree #summer