Fresh and bright, velvety pesto sauce, creamy mozzarella, sauteed cherry tomatoes bursting with sweetness, and al dente pasta come together in this gorgeous, summery pesto caprese pasta. This dish is bursting with big, fresh flavor - yet is so quick and so simple to throw together!
Ingredients
Caprese Pasta
8ouncespasta shells
2teaspoonsolive oil
2pintscherry tomatoes
1ballmozzarella, torn into pieces
Grated parmesan cheese, to serve
Lemon Pesto
1cupbasil leaves, packed
½cuptoasted nuts, see notes
½cupgrated parmesan cheese, See notes
½cupolive oil
½cupwater
¼cupparsley
2clovesgarlic
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 according to the package directions - usually 7-9 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the pasta through a colander.
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 and then shake the pan and cook them for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.
2 pints cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil
Add the cooked pasta, the pesto, and the mozzarella to the pan with the tomatoes and stir together. If needed, add a splash of the pasta water to loosen the sauce - only add as much as you need to make the pasta saucy. Serve the pasta topped with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese.
1 ball mozzarella
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 Fahrenheit for 6-7 minutes, or until they are fragrant.