Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Summer garden pasta . . . spaghetti with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella

 


Our little potted garden is producing more tomatoes than I know what to do with.  The photo below shows one week's worth of pickings, and that's not including the big, beautiful heirlooms we're growing too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! We've been enjoying them straight from the garden as a snack, in omelettes, tacos, and salads . . .  and, my favorite, in simple Summer pasta dishes . . . like this one.




If you watch Barefoot Contessa then you've probably seen her make a dish similar to this one. 

In fact, it was her Summer garden pasta that inspired my version, which includes additional herbs and fresh mozzarella. 




So what makes this simple Summer pasta dish so darn good?

Besides the beautiful red, orange, and yellow tomatoes from our garden, I added lots of fresh herbs too . . . sweet basil, Greek basil, and Italian flat leaf parsley. I also love the addition of fresh mozzarella! It's light & creamy flavor and texture is a perfect compliment to the pasta and tomatoes.




Perhaps what makes this dish special too, is its preparation . . . 

I add quality olive oil and fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the hot pasta, immediately after draining it . . . which allows the cheese to cling to each strand of pasta . . . so that every single bite is flavored with this salty goodness. Yum!




Add the fresh basil and tomato mixture, crushed red pepper flakes (see photo) for a little kick, and creamy mozzarella & fresh herbs for a final touch . . . and you have a light and flavorful dish perfect for any Summer day!




Summer garden pasta
.     .     .     .     .     .     .
quality olive oil
3 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (see photos below)
salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 cups of fresh mozzarella (add more if you love it!), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped for serving
.     .     .     .     .     .     .




Preparation
Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for at least an hour.


In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a handful of salt to the boiling water, and then add the pasta. Cook al dente, according to the directions on the package. 


Drain the pasta well and pour into a large serving bowl. 

Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over the hot pasta, toss; and then sprinkle 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta, toss well. 

Add the basil tomato mixture, fresh mozzarella cubes, extra fresh basil and Italian flat leaf parsley. Toss well. 

45 comments:

  1. Another beautiful, simple and healthy dish:) Looks so delicious. I will definitely give it a try, thanks for sharing:)

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  2. This looks so good and so much better than what I prepared for dinner tonight! :) I hope you had a wonderful birthday trip!!!!

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  3. Oh yes please, that looks so delicious Suzanne!

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  4. I make one that is very similar to yours, only I add black olives. It's so easy and good, especially on summer evenings when we want things to be simple and fast! Your pics make me want to go make it now! Very pretty pictures, and great looking meal.
    judypimperl.blogspot.com

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  5. Your images are so beautiful I want to eat the screen! Newest follower!

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  6. Hands down one of my favorite meals. I love it with penne and the kids love farfalle. Add a drizzle of thick, aged balsamic and I'm in food coma heaven.

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  7. I love Ina Garten and have made this dish before. I add extra fresh herbs, too, but not the mozzarella. I will the next time! Great idea!! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Oh wow! I can't wait for my garden to start producing?? Here in mountainous PA, I have yet to see ONE tomatoes :( This recipe is similar to one I whipped up last year, but didn't write anything down. I am definitely going to make this, it looks so refreshing and summery.:)

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  9. Anonymous7:27 PM

    This is one simple looking delicious recipe that I will be trying in the near future:)

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  10. Anonymous8:51 PM

    What a delightful summer salad. My mouth is watering!

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  11. Those tomatoes look so juicy. There is nothing better than fresh grown tomatoes from the garden! This pasta recipe looks amazing.

    Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Monday on Smart Party Planning :-)

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  12. Love tomatoes! This looks delicious...thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  13. Perfect summer dish...so fresh and light! And beautifully photographed! (stopping by from Marvelous Monday Linky Party) :-)

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  14. Oh my this looks amazing!! Thanks for linking upXO

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  15. OH you are a lady after my own heart. I love to cook this way during the summer but you have a few tips that I shall try out this season :)

    GREAT post and photos! :) Yum :)

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  16. Your salad looks refreshingly delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

    Visiting from Mod Mix Monday.

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  17. Great pasta dish, looks so fresh and inviting! Thanks for sharing at the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! Triple the love coming your way!
    Blessings,
    Shari

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  18. My favorite kind of dish! Your photos are great!
    Jenna

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  19. This looks amazing! What a great summer dish. I'm featuring it in my Friday Features... thanks for linking up to Inspire Me Monday.

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  20. This is terrific, I love making all of the summer recipes with fresh veg from the garden. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Wtach fr your feature on Monday xo

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  21. This is just the kind of dish I love. Your photos are so enticing and the recipe sounds easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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  22. This reminds me of Caprese Salad, which I love. How fun to throw in some pasta and serve for summer! Thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!

    Alison
    Nancherrow

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  23. Yummy, that looks so good. Love pasta so much, especially with different kinds of cheese

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  24. Anonymous10:33 AM

    That looks delicious Suzanne, I love how the vegetables are from your garden. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!! Laura@Baking in Pyjamas

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  25. Look delicious ...pinned!!

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  26. This looks sooooo good!!! You have officially made me hungry. Thank you for sharing. You are one of the features today at the Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. Here is the link to this week's party. http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2014/07/make-it-pretty-monday-week-109.html Hope to see you again at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

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  27. Thank you for linking up to Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday last week. As one of the co-hosts, I will be featuring your recipe on Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday this week on my site, Detours in Life. Congrats! Please stop by and grab a feature button when you get a chance.

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  28. I wanted to let you know I featuring this AMAZING dish for my favorite link-up on the Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop! Thanks so much for stopping by & I hope to see you again =) Marcy @ day2day SuperMom http://www.day2daysupermom.com/2014/07/blog-hop-summer-fun-8-blogs.html

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  29. This is wonderful! I appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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    Replies
    1. This looks delicious.....have a couple of question tho.
      Does these peppers you show have the entire peppers in them or are they just pepper seeds ? I can not find pepper flakes anywhere......all I ever see are pepper seeds....
      And the garlic you growed looks as good as any I have seen in the stores :) Is garlic difficult to grow,does the soil need any special ingredients added to it ? Thanks

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    2. Hi Kentucky Lady,
      I hope this quick note gets to you. I've tried to email you direct, but didn't have any success.
      I use pepper FLAKES, which includes the whole pepper (including seeds). If you can't find a jar of them in your local market, then you might want to consider turning to an online source like Williams-Sonoma. Pepper flakes are great on/in pizzas, salads, frittatas . . . just about anything that you'd like a little kick.
      As far at the garlic, P. Allen Smith is my go-to 'garden guru.' You can see his garden tutorial here on growing garlic . . .
      http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/growing-garlic
      Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate every one of them.
      Have a great week,
      Suzanne

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  30. I absolutely love pasta dishes like this. So many vibrant colors and flavors! Yum!

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  31. I love garden fresh pasta dishes and this looks delicious!! Can't wait to try it! Thanks for sharing with SYC. Pinned.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  32. Beautiful. I have all the ingredients and will make this tonight! Delicious! I love the freshness of this salad!

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  33. your food photos are always so beautiful! Thank you for sharing this yumminess at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. xo
    P.S> did you enter my new giveaway yet?

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  34. You will be featured this Sunday at Inspiration Monday Party! Thanks for linking up, congrats! ~ Julie redheadcandecorate.com

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  35. Pinning, and featuring at tomorrow's Pin Your Friday Favorite :)

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  36. Such a beautiful dish and the photography is gorgeous as well. A perfect light pasta for summer. I could dive in there right now! Visiting from Inspiration Monday - great recipe :)

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  37. This looks so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

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  38. Hi Suzanne,
    I am visiting from Weekend Potluck and what a lovely blog you have. Your Summer Garden Pasta Spaghetti looks delicious, we love a simply dish like that. Thanks so much for sharing and you have a fantastic weekend!
    Miz Helen

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  39. Suzanne - thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe with us at Weekend Potluck. It caught our attention and is being featured at this week's party!! Please stop by and check it out...and leave us 'samples' of more of your kitchen yum. Have a great weekend. http://www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2015/07/amazing-crockpot-caramel-sweet-rolls.html

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  40. O my what a lovely looking bowl of pasta.. looks so fresh and inviting specially for a lovely summer day.. thank you for sharing with love Janice... going to share this ... and I will refer everyone back to your blog..

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  41. Boy this one is right up my alley! Now following you from Weekend Potluck. Perfect recipe to use with my fresh tomatoes and basil in my garden.

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