Caprese Pasta Salad

Pasta salad

 Time to use the basil, a light freeze is on it way. What better way than a wonderful caprese pasta salad? The beautiful summer tomatoes are pretty much gone. I have a couple of green tomatoes on my plants but nothing ripe. So I decided to use a mixture of grape and cherry tomatoes. Not as good as a homegrown tomato but still good.

Caprese Pasta Salad

16 oz (455 g) of Pasta
1 Cup (150 g) of Tomatoes, Cut in Half
8 oz. (225 g) of Mozzarella, Cut into Bite-Size Pieces
One Handful of Basil, Thinly Sliced
Salt, To Taste
Pepper, To Taste
Vinaigrette (1/4 Cup (60 ml) of Balsamic Vinegar with 1/2 Cup (120 ml) of Olive Oil Slowly whisked in)

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water.

One cup of tomatoes

In a large pasta bowl combine tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.

Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil

Salt and pepper liberally. Add the pasta and stir to combine.

Vinaigrette- vinegar and oil whisked together

Finally toss with the dressing.

Will I make this again? Yes, this is one of the few fresh tomato pastas I will eat in the winter. The balsamic vinegar adds a sweetness and makes up for a lack of sun ripened tomatoes. As long as I have fresh basil (which you can find in the winter) and cherry tomatoes, this pasta salad is a winner.