Quick Tomato Basil Pasta with Shredded Mozzarella
This tomato basil pasta is soooooooo good! Sometimes we don’t want a saucy pasta and want our veggies to shine. The freshness of the juicy red tomatoes and the crunch of the red onions really makes it a favorite recipe of ours during the Summer season! Unlike some salads that use fresh mozzarella cheese this one uses shredded mozzarella cheese which is something we always have in our refrigerator! We usually serve it as a main course but you can easily serve it as a side dish next other Summer bbq favorites like grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs or corn on the cob. I hope you try it soon! Looking for more fresh tomato recipes? Try my Cucumber Tomato Salad, Fresh Heirloom Tomato Pasta, Cherry Tomato and Chickpea Salad and Pickled Cherry Tomatoes.
Ingredients for Fresh Tomato Pasta Salad
Tomatoes, fresh roma or beefsteak taste best, but you can also cut cherry tomatoes in half if that’s what you have! Red Onions really make this pasta special, but yellow onions can be used too. Fresh Basil, finely chop it up. Fusilli pasta, you can use penne, elbow pasta or bow ties if that’s what you have. Mozzarella cheese is our fav for this recipe, you can use bagged shredded or fresh mozzarella. Alternatively, you can use feta cheese if you’d like a different taste. Also, you will need 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Kitchen basics: olive oil, sugar, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper
Let’s make this Tomato Basil Pasta in 20 Minutes
In a large serving or mixing bowl stir together fresh tomatoes, red onion, basil, minced garlic, olive oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cook pasta according to the time on the box. You want to make sure you don’t overcook it. Drain pasta. Add cooked pasta to the mixing bowl with tomatoes, tossing it to fully coat with the olive oil dressing. Sprinkle in mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper, stirring it a couple more times. Serve right away if you want it warm, or chill in the refrigerator if you are serving later on.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an tight container. Leftovers are good for 3-4 days.
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