This is something that is a bit out of the box for me. We do eat a lot of pasta but it’s usually pretty basic with a pesto, alfredo or marinara sauce, meat and no extras. But I really do love sun-dried tomatoes so I wanted to think of a way to incorporate it into a pasta dish.
Once I got the sun-dried tomato idea I decided that basil was a must! I normally make my own marinara sauce, which is pretty much canned tomato sauce added to a load of onions, garlic and basil. Tomatoes and basil go hand in hand so I figured if I am using tomatoes here then I have no choice but the add in the basil.
From there, the thought of a Caprese pasta was where my mind was headed! Caprese is the combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (yes, FRESH, not the regular kind) and basil. I’ve always loved Caprese salads with balsamic vinaigrette, which is the most common way to eat a Caprese anything, so I am sure I’m not the first person to turn a Caprese salad into a pasta dish.
This recipe is pretty straightforward and very easy to put together. Since Devin is not much of a fan of vegetarian dishes, I threw in the shrimp just to add a little something extra and to satisfy him! Because of that, I’d say this is super easy to turn into a vegetarian or even vegan recipe if you ditch the shrimp and substitute the half and half for coconut milk. I’m pretty sure it will turn out just as good! The flavors of the tomato and basil are most prominent so I doubt this substitution would change much.
- 1 lb Cavatappi pasta
- 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes with oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 20-25 medium shrimp, peeled
- 1 tbsp olive oil.
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- 8-10 fresh mozzarella balls
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta for 5 minutes and drain.
- Heat oil from sundried tomatoes in a large skillet. Add chopped onions, garlic and half of basil to oil. Cook for 3 minutes. Add shrimp to pan and seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook shrimp for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add chicken stock and half and half to shrimp and bring to boil. Add pasta to sauce and stir. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, then remove from heat.
- Arrange mozzarella balls evenly spaced between the pasta then cook in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining basil over pasta and serve.
DetailsPrep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6-8 servings - 1 tbsp olive oil.