Today I made dinner - Yes, Zachary was the taste tester this evening and I was the cook (usually it is the other way around).
I was watching Giada on the Food Network one day and she made this amazing simple pasta that reminded me of summers back at home. My hometown best friend Michelle and I would make these amazing pasta salads for lunch some days with fresh veggies and Italian dressing - and even sometimes shrimp!
Unlike the pasta salads, this is a hot dish but probably could be served cold as well!
Also for a healthier version, I used brown rice Fusilli instead of regular.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 pound fusilli
3 tablespoons evoo
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (1 1/2 pints)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid then drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky sauce, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta and too to combine. Stir in the basil leaves and mozzarella, then add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist.
Here is a link as well to the Giada website where I got the recipe:
http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/recipes/544/fusilli-alla-caprese
It's super easy and Zachary loved it! So I was a happy camper!!!
Salud!
xoxo Sarah
