Warm Caprese Pesto Pasta Recipe
This super simple yet crazy delicious Caprese Pesto Pasta is as good as it gets. The lemony pesto is a creamy blender pesto that is so easy to make. Pour that over pasta and toss with some sauteed cherry tomatoes and mozzarella and dinner is served. It's the perfect Meatless Monday vegetarian supper recipe.
Ingredients
Caprese Pasta
- 8 ounces pasta shells
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 pints around 30 cherry tomatoes
- 1 mozzarella ball, torn into pieces (See notes)
- Grated parmesan cheese, to garnish
Lemony Pesto
- 1 cup basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup toasted nuts, see notes
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, See notes
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- Juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. When it comes to a boil, add the shells, stirring as you pour them into the pot. Cook the pasta for 7-9 minutes then drain and set aside.8 ounces pasta shells
- While the water is heating, prepare the pesto. Place all the pesto ingredients into your blender and blend on high until smooth.1 cup basil leaves, ½ cup toasted nuts, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup water, ¼ cup parsley, 2 cloves garlic, Juice of 2 lemons
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and quickly toss to coat them in the oil Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes then shake the pan and cook them for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.2 pints around 30 cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Add the cooked pasta, the pesto, and the mozzarella to the pan and stir together. Serve the Warm Caprese Pesto Pasta topped with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese.1 mozzarella ball
Notes
While pine nuts are classic in pesto, other nuts work great. We like a combination of almonds and walnuts the best. Pecans and cashews work great, too. To toast the nuts, place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes, or until they are fragrant.
To easily make this a vegan recipe, skip the mozzarella use a tablespoon of nutritional yeast instead of the parmesan in the pesto.
Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 168mg, Potassium: 556mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1273IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 162mg, Iron: 3mg