Schoonmaker Recipes

This is a family favorite we love how fresh it tastes! We actually started grating the cheese so that there weren't the small chunks of cheese but a continuous cheese sauce. Both ways are good. It is worth the money to use fresh basil on this as well. Be careful whenever you are cooking garlic because it will burn REALLY quickly and then it's ruined, so make sure you have the next step prepared before you start; it only takes a few minutes (until you smell it.)

Fusilli alla Caprese

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 10 min

Inactive Prep Time:--

Cook Time:10 min

Level:Easy

Serves:4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fusilli pasta (or other spiral pasta like Rotini)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.