Fast and so delicious this fusilli all caprese is the perfect way to use up your right-out-of-the-garden basil and tomatoes.

A few years ago after a surgery, I was a total slug, which translated into many hours of watching the Food Network.

Of all the hours spent watching, this is the one recipe that caught my attention and I could not stop thinking about it until I made it.

Spiral pasta with tomatoes and melted cheese.

So I dragged myself out of bed, begged my husband to go to the store to get some pasta and mozzarella and we whipped up this meal, which is quite an accomplishment in itself since I hadn’t made a single thing besides cold cereal in weeks.

Don’t let the fancy name scare you – it is basically pasta thrown together with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella in garlic and olive oil and was on Giada’s “Cooking for Beginners” episode which should give you some indication of how easy it really is to make this.

Was it worth it? Well, I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best pasta dish I have eaten in months – and I’ve eaten a lot of great pasta dishes.

Oh my, it was tremendous – the fresh mozzarella cheese was perfect with the right-out-of-the-garden basil and tomatoes.

Honestly, I know I say this a lot in relation to recipes I post on here, but I could eat this every night of my life and be a very happy (and probably very chubby) woman. Fast and so delicious!

What To Serve With This:

Apple Stuffed Chicken BreastsBroiled Parmesan and  Lemon Chicken, or Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken
A simple green salad (or for something more fancy this Gourmet Green Salad)
Fresh, seasonal fruit

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Fusilli alla Caprese

4.43 stars (7 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
  • In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes.
  • Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 472kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 638mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g

Recipe Source: from Giada De Laurentiis