Two Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella, Basil & Pine Nuts
August 5, 2011 
bowl is from Mystic Mud Studio in Hood River, Oregon
With all the tomatoes in the garden right now, here is great way to use some of those up. This pasta combines two types of tomatoes - one batch that is slow roasted in the oven and another that is just cut up, fresh. It requires no real cooking, just letting the little grape tomatoes sit in the oven for a couple of hours at 300 degrees F and then boiling the pasta. Everything is just tossed together in the serving bowl to create a fresh summer pasta dish with a minimal amount of effort.
When buying the mozzarella, try to find the type that is packed in water and comes in tubs. It's much fresher tasting and the texture is better than the type that is vacuum sealed.
Tip: I've also made this recipe with grape tomatoes for both the roasted and fresh. Works great. And another great pasta for this is orrecchiete - it holds the sauce so well.
Two Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella, Basil & Pine Nuts
for a printable recipe, click here
serves 4
Use the best extra virgin olive oil you can. It will take this dish to a new level! You can also use grape tomatoes for the roasted and the fresh, if you like. And orecchiette pasta makes a great alternative to the spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces of grape tomatoes
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- salt & pepper
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 10 ounces spaghetti
- 14 ounces very small tomatoes (about 8 to 10), cut into chunks
- 4 ounces mozzarella, cubed
- about 10 basil leaves, julienned
Instructions
For the slow roasted tomatoes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice grape tomatoes in half and place on baking sheet with the garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for about two hours or until the tomatoes are reduced down and have lost a lot of their moisture.
Toast the pine nuts: Place pine nuts in a small skillet. Cook over medium high heat just for a few minutes, until lightly toasted.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente. Remove with tongs and place in a large serving bowl (don't drain- you want a little pasta water still on the pasta so it doesn't stick). Add the slow roasted tomatoes, the toasted pine nuts, the fresh tomatoes, the mozzarella, 4 tablespoons olive oil and the basil leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss well.
Reader Comments (24)
Fantastic summer pasta dish!
Looks so fresh and delicious! Great recipe!
This looks delish--and your pictures are so stunning! Love the bowl =)
My Flash-Back-Friday hop is up again, hope you can link up again this week!
~Carolyn
Flash Back Friday #11
Looks completely yummy!
Wow that looks so good! And were did you get that bowl? It is very nice.
What a great looking bowl - in every sense of the word - the actual ceramic bowl and the contents. But I love the light you captured on the photograph of the tomatoes too.
I'm growing a little grape tomato called Juliet that would be perfect with this dish! Can't wait to try it. Thanks.
From The Italian Dish:
Christina: That's funny, because Juliet is my very favorite tomato!
Lucia: I have a link to the bowl from Mystic Mud Studio in the post. Thanks.
I can't wait to try this. My tomatoes are not ready yet, too much rain in the NW. I love Mystic Mud. I visit them whenever I get a chance.
That looks so sumptious and I love that bowl.
Perfect timing for this post, I'm gathering many tiny tomatoes on a daily basis now. Beautiful food, beautiful bowl!
How bright are those tomatoes!! This looks like the perfect pasta dish. I might try it with wholemeal penne as I have a heap to use up!
x Megs
www.scrambledmegs.com
I made this with pan-roasting the tomatoes (a lot quicker; I didn't have 2 hours to wait for the oven haha) and then used vegan mozz. It was stupendously delicious. Thanks so much!
my eye went right to that bowl -- oh i love it!!
the pasta is simple and fantastic all at once.
A++ on this photography
thank you for another inspiration.
Oh my new summer drink has been the aeperol, orange stoli and pelligrino- i top with the lime juice (and sometimes) a splash of cointreau. The bitter orange flavor is wonderful and perfect for summer.
can't wait for your next post
Oh Elaine, looks so very yummy! The food looks amazing, but my eye was immediately drawn to that beautiful bowl! I was just reading the other comments, and EVERYONE loves that bowl. Guess you brought that home from your last trip? Great photography.
Nice pictures. I love slow roasted tomatoes. Need I say I also love the bowl? :)
I love your recipes.
Sabine,sternchen56
Beautiful!
First time visitor and just bookmarked the Pesto bread and tomato soup/crisps recipes. We have tons of both tomatoes and basil to use up. I will check your posts often. Thanks for a great site, I am looking forward to searching around. And yes, the bowl is gorgeous!
I make a Caprese pasta a lot - but I love this idea with the pine nuts - sort of a deconstructed pesto. And roasting some of the tomatoes - delectable. The photos welcome.
What's better than tomato with mozzarella? I will try this out tomorrow!!
This dish looked awesome and I made it tonight exactly the way the recipe was written.
It not only looked as beautiful as in the picture, but it was absolutely delicious! I got raves from
everyone, especially my husband. I checked the grape tomatoes roasting in the over after one hour
and they looked almost done so I shut off the oven and let them sit in it for a few more hours until
we were ready to eat. PERFECT! The flavors of the two tomatoes with the other ingredients were
better than any restaurant. Love the pine nut touch and of course, I love my basil and garlic.
Thank you so very much for all of your wonderful recipes. I have made many of them including the
no knead bread. Fabulous! Keem 'em coming, you are the best!
Your website does not disappoint - you are truly talented.
I found this recipe on Pinterest. We had it for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.