Taking its cue from Italy’s insalata caprese, this easy make-ahead dish from “Cooking Light Pasta” (Oxmoor House, 2006) combines fresh mozzarella cheese with basil and tomatoes. Choose the ripest, most flavorful tomatoes for this sensational pasta salad. Basil is one of the most important culinary herbs. Sweet basil, the most common type, is redolent of licorice and cloves. When married with tomatoes, as in this recipe, basil is at its best.
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked orecchiette (“little ears” pasta)
3 cups chopped plum tomato
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) diced fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta, tomato, and remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Yield: 4 servings (serving size 1 1/2 cups).
Per serving: 376 calories (30 percent from fat); 12.4 g fat (sat 5.7 g, mono 4.2 g, poly 1.1 g); 15.1 g protein; 50.5 g carbohydrates; 3.4 g fiber; 28 mg cholesterol; 3.4 mg iron; 361 mg sodium; 239 mg calcium
