Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh cherry tomatoes, starting to get the theme here, FRESH. It is still summer, and we can all use another great side dish, and this will be a hit with the whole family.

There are several versions out there but I think the one from The Today Program is the closest, and I will call it the inspiration piece. Modifications were two. First, one pound of pasta would be WAY too much. Second, they suggested using the garlic to marinade the tomatoes then remove it. If I removed garlic for a dish in this house, I would be a one handed pediatrician real fast. Instead, I cut the garlic back a little, crushed and left it in.

Rating

A nice solid 4.

Notes: Don’t be afraid to vary this a little. A few more tomatoes or less, or use fresh diced tomatoes. More garlic, less garlic. Other fresh veggies would be good, and some fresh chopped asparagus would be great. We added some shredded chicken along with some Italian dressing to the leftovers and had several more complete meals.

Lastly, this makes LOT of salad. I’m glad we loved it. We both had 2-3 servings the first round and did the chicken thing for the leftovers and had several more meals.

Looks good, I have a new camera lens. LOVE IT!

Start by cutting about 1 pound of cherry tomatoes in half.

In a large bowl, add tomatoes along with 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, 1/4 cup good olive oil, one t coarse salt, a pinch of red pepper (about 1/8 t or less) and pepper to taste (about 1/4 t to start) mix well and set aside.

Cook 8 oz of pasta according to package instructions. We used mini penne. Allow to cool.

Chop 8 oz of fresh mozzarella into bite size pieces.

Chop 10 leaves of fresh basil.

When the pasta is cool, add the pasta, the mozzarella, and the basil to the tomatoes and mix well.

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3.77 from 21 votes

Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh cherry tomatoes, starting to get the theme here, FRESH. It is still summer, and we can all use another great side dish, and this will be a hit with the whole family.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Author: Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

Servings/Adjustment: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 pound pasta - like mini penne
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella
• 2-3 cloves garlic - crushed
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 10 fresh basil leaves
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper - about 1/8 teaspoon
• Pepper to taste - start at 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

• Start by cutting about 1 pound of cherry tomatoes in half.
• In a large bowl, add tomatoes along with 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, 1/4 cup good olive oil, one t coarse salt, a pinch of red pepper (about 1/8 t or less) and pepper to taste (about 1/4 t to start) mix well and set aside.
• Cook 8 oz of pasta according to package instructions. We used mini penne. Allow to cool.
• Chop 8 oz of fresh mozzarella into bite size pieces.
• Chop 10 leaves of fresh basil.When the pasta is cool, add the pasta, the mozzarella, and the basil to the tomatoes and mix well.
• Test for taste and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes

Amount Per Serving

Calories 77 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.04g

Cholesterol 10mg 3%

Sodium 194mg 8%

Potassium 102mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 7g 2%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 8%

Vitamin C 8%

Calcium 6%

Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.

 

Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.

All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.

If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.