Meatless Monday :: Caprese Pasta
By: Angela LeMoine
Published: Monday, August 20, 2012 - 11:20am

Ingredients




garlic infused olive oil (see below)
1 lb pasta of your choice (I used Regine)
3/4 lb fresh mozzarella, diced
3 vine ripened tomatoes
2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
a couple handfuls of basil, torn
salt & pepper

Preparation

1 Garlic infused olive oil is a great and easy way to infuse tons of flavor into a dish! Add 1 cup olive oil and 15 smashed garlic cloves into a small saucepan. On the smallest burner and on the lowest heat allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes. The oil will look slightly cloudy in the end.  Allow to cool slightly before handling. 2 Go ahead and cook your pasta to al dente, "to the tooth". Side note I found this "Regine" shaped pasta and I had to give it a try! Its so fun looking! While the pasta is cooking dice your mozzarella and tomatoes, add to a large bowl. 3 Drain the pasta and cool for a few minutes. Add the pasta to the bowl. Next, add in the basil,  a 1/4 cup of the garlic infused olive oil and the balsamic. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Can be served cold or room temperature!

About

Who does't love a caprese salad? Vine ripened tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil & the kicker in my version... garlic infused olive oil, oh and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar! Toss it all with al dente pasta and perfection! This is super simple and quick to throw together, perfect for the dreaded Monday!