Caprese Salad Pasta

This was really intended to be made with leftovers from a Caprese salad (see previous post), but can definitely be made without the help of leftovers.  That being said, I have never, ever been this excited about eating leftovers.


This recipe isn't very exact, so you can modify it as you see fit based on how many people your'e serving, your personal preferences, and so on.


You'll need:


Tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
(Or substitute leftover Caprese salad for the above ingredients)
2 cloves garlic
Your favorite pasta (I used mini penne because they're adorable!)


Separately, dice your tomatoes and mozzarella and set them aside.  


Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Once it comes to a boil, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.


Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet or sauce pan.  Mince the garlic and add to the pan.  Once the garlic is fragrant, add the diced tomatoes.  Allow them to simmer away.  Give the tomatoes a squish with the back of a spoon periodically.  The tomatoes will cook down and release their juices, making a nice simple sauce.  Toward the end of the cooking time, toss in some basil (either whole leaves, or chopped/torn/shredded/etc.).  


You can then add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan with the tomatoes.  Toss it up a bit, and then add the diced mozzarella cheese.  The cheese will likely melt a bit and become pretty stringy, and gooey.  It really is a thing of beauty.

Add a little more fresh basil on top, and you're good to go.