One Pot Caprese Pasta just made your family dinner a whole lot easier. A wonderful summer pasta dish.
Summer is my favorite time of year. I love that the kids are off from school, the swim club is open, vacations are taken and the fresh produce is plentiful.
My garden consists of lots of tomatoes and fresh basil as well as other herbs and peppers. The ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil are put together with pasta, garlic and fresh mozzarella cheese to make one delicious summer pasta.
Even when my garden is bare, I can always find these ingredients in the market.
Caprese salads are one of my favorites. But I also love to make Caprese cocktails, Caprese pizza and one pot Caprese pasta.
The fresh mozzarella cheese gets added at the end so that it is slightly melted and just the perfect texture. It is not uncommon in the summer for some type of Caprese recipe to be prepared in my kitchen at least twice a week.
While my family loves eating this pasta, I love making it because only one pot is needed. Also the pasta is cooked with the other ingredients, so there is no need to use a colander to drain the pasta.
There is no colander to clean up either. With my extra time gained, I can whip up a nice dessert such as dark chocolate raspberry pudding or pink lemonade cupcakes.
My family is usually so happy that they even will clean up the dishes after eating their pasta and decadent dessert. Now that is a successful family dinner, wouldn’t you say?
Whether you have a large or small family, one-pot meals are always a winner for both weeknight dinners and weekend meals when you are having company. It’s easy to find a dinner everyone will love, and that you’ll love not having to clean up for hours afterwards too.
Need some inspiration? Here are just a few of my favorite one- pot dinners:
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One Pot Caprese Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Penne
- 2 cups Chopped Tomatoes
- 6 large Fresh Basil Leaves Plus extra chopped basil for garnish
- 2 teaspoons Chopped Garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt Plus extra to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Plus extra to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 5 1/2 cups Water
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cut into pieces
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, combine pasta, tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic, salt, red pepper, dried basil, water and olive oil. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Cook pasta for about 10 to 12 minutes or until water is evaporated and pasta is al dente, turning frequently with tongs. If you like your pasta a little more cooked, more water can be added.
- When pasta is done, add mozzarella cheese and toss.
- Garnish with extra fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.