caprese pasta with lemony breadcrumbs is THE perfect summertime dish!
This caprese pasta beautifully captures how easy it is (with just a few simple tweaks) to take a simple dish up several notches – without any extra work, an arsenal of ingredients, or hours in the kitchen.
First up? Lemony bread crumbs. Which are every bit as good as they sound. I love a bit of crunch in my savory dishes (and, TBH in my sweets too), but don’t always have a loaf of Italian bread at the ready. Same? So years ago I tried using my always-on-hand sandwich bread, to see if the results would be as good.
The results were as good.
Simply process the bread into crumbs and saute in a bit of olive oil. A quick toss with some lemon zest (and, because it’s Monday, a few drops of Lemon essential oil) and you have PERFECTION.
Next? Tear your mozzarella instead of slicing. Not only does this create a lovely, rustic appearance, those rougher edges hold your sauce much better. Win-win, anyone?
Finally, I wanted to create a dish that could be made year-round. So while I took advantage of gorgeous end-of-season tomatoes, anytime grape tomatoes will become sweet and caramelized when cooked down a bit over high heat. And if you can’t find fresh basil in the dead of winter, feel free to substitute with parsley or even mint.
12 ounces pasta (I used cavatappi here)
1 garlic clove
2 slices white sandwich bread
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
zest and juice of a large lemon
3 – 4 drops Lemon essential oil
1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces
handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
Cook the pasta till al dente.
While the water is heating/pasta is cooking, place the garlic clove in your food processor and process till chopped. Add the bread slices and process again, till crumbs form. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet; saute the bread crumbs till golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the lemon zest and Lemon essential oil.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet – heat till hot and add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and saute till slightly shriveled, about 5 minutes.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (I SWEAR by this tip!). Return pasta to the pot and add the tomatoes and lemon juice. If the dish seems dry add reserved pasta water as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and toss with mozzarella, breadcrumbs and basil. Season to taste and serve immediately.
This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2021/08/19/caprese-pasta-with-lemony-breadcrumbs/
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Hi! I'm Sheri!
Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!
Mouthwatering!…Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe
Thanks so much! 🙂
Thanks for sharing