- MENU
- HOME
- SEARCH
- WORLD
- MAIN
- AFRICA
- ASIA
- BALKANS
- EUROPE
- LATIN AMERICA
- MIDDLE EAST
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Benelux
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Russia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- USA
- BUSINESS
- WEALTH
- STOCKS
- TECH
- HEALTH
- LIFESTYLE
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- RSS
- iHaveNet.com: Recipes
Diane Rossen Worthington
America's fascination with pasta salads has taken us a long way from the original macaroni salad. In the last few decades, pasta salads have became colorful and fresh, relying on vinaigrettes and an array of seasonal vegetables, cheeses, meats, poultry and seafood to help them sparkle. You'll find pasta varieties now include whole wheat, egg, cellophane, soba and the standard semolina. I like to use Italian style penne or fusilli here because it is so easy to eat with a fork.
This vegetarian summer caprese pasta salad is a welcome treat as the summer winds down. Fresh ripe tomatoes, fragrant fresh basil and mozzarella cheese are added to cooked pasta, an adaptation of the classic caprese salad. Look for ripe tomatoes that are plentiful at this time of year.
A bonus is that this is a no-cook sauce. Fresh mozzarella is now commonly available at your supermarket. To make it even easier, look for the little fresh mozzarella balls called ciliegine so you don't have to cut up the cheese. Feel free to add cooked chicken or shrimp, shredded carrots, or green and black olives for an even more colorful and substantial dish.
Cooking pasta for a chilled salad requires a few tricks to make sure that the pasta doesn't stick together:
-- If using fresh noodles, remember they cook much faster than dried. Cook the pasta in boiling water, making sure to separate the noodles while cooking, using tongs or chopsticks. Make sure to check and pull the pasta out of the water when it is still slightly al dente. It will continue to cook.
-- Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to make sure the noodles don't stick together. Then mix with the dressing or coat with oil to keep the noodles from sticking.
Pasta Caprese Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Pasta Caprese Salad Ingredients
For the pasta:
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound dried fusilli or penne
For the sauce:
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced into 1-inch pieces or ciliegine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: 1 cup chopped cooked chicken or shrimp, 1/2 cup pitted olives or 1/2 cup shredded carrots
Pasta Caprese Salad Recipe Instructions
1. Add salt to a large pot of boiling water. Add pasta and cook over high heat until al dente, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Place in a large serving bowl, mix the tablespoon of oil into the pasta to keep it from sticking, and cool. Reserve.
2. In medium bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and mix to combine. Season to taste. Add any optional ingredients.
3. When the pasta is cooled, combine the sauce with the pasta and mix well. Season to taste, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about an hour or until serving.
This caprese pasta salad recipe can be made up to one day ahead, covered and refrigerated. It may be served chilled or at room temperature.
Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.
Available at Amazon.com:
Anna Getty's Easy Green Organic
Cuisinart ICE-30BC Pure Indulgence 2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker
The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern: Knockout Dishes with Down-Home Flavor
Stonewall Kitchen: Grilling: Fired-Up Recipes for Cooking Outdoors All Year Long
Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain
Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients
FOOD, DRINK & RECIPES [...]
APPETIZERS | SOUPS | PASTA | SALADS | MAIN COURSES | SEAFOOD | CHICKEN | PORK | LAMB | BEEF / VEAL | VEGETARIAN | SIDE DISHES | DESSERT | HEALTHY | WOLFGANG PUCK
Caprese Pasta Salad - Vegetarian Summer Recipe
World-renowned chefs with an extraordinary passion for food share their passion on iHaveNet.com. These chefs make great cooking easier than imagined. Each gourmet recipe features expert advice and an easy-to-make recipe. Exactly what you need to transform your home cooking from acceptable to delectable
© Tribune Media Services