Caprese Pasta with Fresh Basil
A vibrant pasta dish featuring sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and fragrant basil for a Mediterranean-inspired flavor burst. This Italian-inspired pasta recipe (mediterranean), ready in about 35 minutes, pairs pasta, mozzarella balls, sun-dried tomatoes for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 12 oz (spaghetti) pasta
- 1 cup, cubed mozzarella balls
- 1/2 cup, chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup, chopped fresh basil
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves (minced) garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Step 2: In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tsp salt; cook for 2 minutes.
- Step 3: Toss cooked pasta into the skillet, adding 1/4 cup pasta water to loosen the sauce. Stir in 1 cup cubed mozzarella until melted and evenly coated.
- Step 4: Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil. Serve immediately, garnished with additional basil leaves.
