I’m at Jane’s Today with Caprese Pasta Salad
I have a guest post up at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner today. In that post I mope a bit about my lack of friends in Florida. What I come to realize is that I do have friends, I just don’t see them in person often, if at all.
Ironically, last night I was reminded of how connected I actually am. I met up with the Central Florida Lady Bloggers, a group of enthusiastic, intelligent, hilarious women who never cease to inspire me.
If you’re a local blogger and are looking for some kindred spirits, check out our Facebook Page and come meet with us at our next get-together. Oh, and most of us will be at the Central Florida Blogging Conference so you should come check that out too!
Here’s a picture of my Make Ahead Caprese Pasta Salad. Go over to my friend Jane’s for the recipe!
I’ve recently added it here too. See below.
- 1 lb. Ditalini Pasta (or other small shape like elbow macaroni or bow ties)
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes
- 2 tbsps lemon juice, divided (and maybe a bit more to taste)
- 5 tbsps olive oil, divided (and probably a bit more to taste)
- Kosher salt
- Coarse black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus a few extra leaves for garnish
- ¾ lb. fresh mozzarella
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, roughly chop the tomatoes. Transfer the tomatoes, along with any juices that accumulated while chopping, into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of coarse black pepper. Stir.
- Add the hot drained pasta to the tomatoes. Stir to combine. (Why add the pasta while it’s hot? It will immediately start sucking up the flavors you added to the bowl while also slightly cooking and softening the tomatoes, which will cause them to release more of their juices into the pasta.)
- Allow the pasta salad to cool to room temperature on the counter. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or for as little as 1 hour.
- Fifteen minutes before serving, remove the pasta from the fridge. Add the parsley, basil, the other tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir. Taste. Add more salt and pepper to enhance flavors if required. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil for moisture if required. Add another teaspoon or two of lemon juice for a bit of tang and brightness if required. (I wish I could be more specific about the amounts here but it all ha to do with how much liquid the pasta has sucked up, which depends on many things including how long it all rested together before being served. Just taste and trust your instincts. I have faith in you!).
- Slice the mozzarella cylinder in half lengthwise and then cut each cylinder into ¼ inch slices. Layer the mozzarella slices over the pasta salad. Drizzle the mozzarella with the final tablespoon of olive oil before enjoying it with friends.
This pasta salad looks yummy! I’m going to make it for a potluck soon.
Veronica, It’s as yummy as it looks! Let me know how it turns out and how your fellow potluckers like it. Thanks for visiting.
this recipe looks fantastic! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Katie recently posted: Biscoff Ice Cream
I can’t wait to try this! I love caprese salad…
Yay! V, I think I knew that you love it. So glad you found the post. Let me know if you try it out. I’d love your feedback.
I’m glad you changed the setting back so I could read the whole post :)
So glad to see you last night!
Michelle recently posted: Workout Wednesday: Boot Camp #1
Michelle, Thanks for telling me how annoying that was. I had no idea!!! So nice seeing you too.