- 1
Ingredients
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes (preferably garden-fresh), sliced in half
- 15 - 30 leaves of fresh basil, torn into tiny pieces
- 2 - 3 packages of fresh imported Italian buffalo mozzarella, drained and torn into small pieces
- 1/2 pound pasta (I used fusilli)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (as high quality as possible)
- 4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Freshly-cracked sea salt to taste, a generous amount
- Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste, a generous amount
Preparation
Step 1
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente (no more than 7 minutes).
Drain immediately with cold water and keep the pasta under very cold running water until the pasta is cold, so that it stops cooking).
Drain well.
Pour pasta in a very large mixing bowl and add the olive oil immediately to prevent sticking.
Add the minced garlic.
Toss in all of the cherry tomatoes.
Toss in the balsamic vinegar.
Toss in the mozzarella.
Toss in the basil leave pieces.
Salt and pepper to taste.
The imported Italian mozzarella will 'cream' into the pasta along with the juices of the tomatoes and the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
You will not see any rubbery chunks of mozzarella with this cheese.
Chill to allow all of the flavors to marry for several hours.
Let the pasta salad set out for at least a half an hour before serving, so that the olive oil and mozzarella de-gel and de-solidify.
Stir up again and check to see if you need more salt and pepper (I prefer a lot of each).
Tear up a bunch of extra basil leaves to toss in at the moment of serving because basil turns dark while chilling and you'll want your presentation to be pretty . . . the newly blended in basil will perk up your presentation; and who doesn't like extra basil in Caprese Salad anyway?
Instructions