Giada's Pasta alla Caprese

Inspiration:
Modified from Giada's "Fusilli alla Caprese" recipe.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces whole-wheat farfalle pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn (do not use dried basil)
  
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Instructions:

1. 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, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

2. In a medium skillet heat the olive oil 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 potato masher or a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. If needed, add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Notes:
This was a great fresh-tasting recipe. It was relatively quick to make, except for quartering the tomatoes. If you're in a huge rush, you could probably substitute the fresh tomatoes with drained canned tomatoes, but it would lose a bit of "freshness."


Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10