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One delicious bowl, brimming with the summer's finest fare, this Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta is perfect for lunch or dinner and always brings rave reviews!
I'm quite certain that, if this delicious Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta could talk, it would be shouting "summer"! It's perfect for any kind of warm weather get together and is guaranteed to be the first dish emptied at picnics, potlucks and family meals.
When I first made this Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta, I sent a bowl over to our sweet neighbors next door. The text I received a few hours later, is probably all I need to tell you about this amazing recipe. This is what it said:
"Oh my my my!!!! Chris and Scott! This is perhaps the best thing I've ever tasted! The flavors are so amazing and fresh and delicious!!! Thank you for sharing your yumminess! Love, Your insanely happy neighbors next door :)"
So I'll keep it short today and let the pictures do most of the talking. The components are simple, but the combination is so delicious:
The recipe starts out with a batch of Garlic and Herb Roasted Tomatoes, easy to put together and bursting with the delicious flavors of summer.
Then there's one of our favorite kinds of pasta, Ditalini, so fun and pretty! Ditalini is a small, tubular-shaped pasta that's often used in minestrone as well as Pasta e Fagioli. Ditalini actually means "little thimbles". It's an ideal choice for this salad as the little tubes readily soak up the fabulous flavors of the roasted tomatoes.
Fresh, sweet summer corn - barely cooked to crunchy perfection. Is there anything better? Well, maybe creamy, fresh mozzarella that melts into strings of deliciousness when warmed.
A shower of fresh basil is the crowning glory and finishing touch. I mean really, it's part of the Italian trinity, right? Tomatoes, mozzarella and... yes, lots of fresh, fragrant basil!
Put this Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta on your menu soon, before the fleeting summer slips by! You'll be insanely happy that you did!
Café Tips for making this Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta
- If you can't find Ditalini or want to use something you already have, any small tubular pasta will work. You could even use macaroni, although it's not as pretty.
- The Garlic Herb Roasted tomatoes can be made a day in advance. Just be careful with them when transferring to a storage container as you want to keep them as intact as possible for the pasta salad. Bring them to room temperature or warm them slightly in the microwave before adding to the salad.
- I like the small fresh balls of fresh mozzarella you can purchase at many larger grocery stores. They usually come in a small container and are in a brine or oil solution. You can also dice larger balls or log mozzarella into bite-size pieces.
- The corn in this pasta salad is barely cooked so it remains crunchy and fresh. You just want to see the color deepen from light yellow to a darker yellow.
- This Roasted Tomato Fresh Mozzarella Pasta makes a great side for chicken, salmon or anything on the grill, but you can also make it a complete meal by adding rotisserie chicken or thinly sliced Italian sausage, like s0pressata, salami or even pepperoni.
Thought for the day:
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25 4&5
What we're listening to for inspiration:
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Roasted Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Garlic and Herb Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 pound ditalini pasta
- 4 ears fresh corn
- 12 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Garlic Herb Roasted Tomatoes.
- Bring a medium-large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Allow water to return to a boil, then cook pasta for 8-10 minutes or until al dente (If you're using a different type of pasta, follow the directions on the package).
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water then drain well, drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and stir to coat pasta with oil. (This will keep it from drying out until you’re ready to combine it with the other ingredients.) Set aside.
- While pasta is cooking, place corn in a large microwave-safe bowl and add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with a plate and cook in the microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave, carefully remove the plate to vent and wait till corn is cool enough to handle, then cut kernels from cobs. Cover and set aside.
- Allow pasta to cool for 20 minutes (this will keep the cheese from melting right away), then combine with about ⅔ of the tomatoes (reserve the rest) in a medium-large bowl, (be sure to scrape out all the good oil and herbs from the pan).
- Add corn, fresh mozzarella, remaining olive oil, salt, pepper and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Stir gently to combine and add more pasta water to loosen a bit, if needed.
- Add one half of the basil and stir gently one more time. Top with the remaining tomatoes and basil. Warm slightly (1-2 minutes) in the microwave before serving or serve at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in August 2016. It's way too good to get lost in the deep Café archives so we've spruced it up a bit and we're sharing it again for your dining pleasure!
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I needed a good side for a tomato based marinade on a tri tip so I went to my favorite spot for creative combinations...the Cafe. This sounded good, but then I made it, oh my goodness. You know how when a dish has many components you end up digging for your favorite? I was digging for these amazing tomatoes! We enjoyed this last night, but then I had two bowls for brunch in the morning! Yum. Fresh and tasty. I really like the heat and flavours in the tomatoes.
Thanks so much, Coleen!
Chris,
I made this tonight for dinner with grilled chicken. The flavors were amazing and it looked so pretty on the plate. Can’t wait to serve to friends and family. All your recipes are awesome and I love sharing them.
Thanks again,
Gayle
I'm so glad! Thanks for letting us know, Gayle!
Curious why some are calling this a salad? You reference warm mozz, pasta water, main dish so my take this is main course warm padta dish. I have an abundance of plum tomatoes from garden. I have slow roasted 8 lbs so far. Delish. Now to figure out what to use them in. Your recipe is my first go for them. Thanks.
I think it's just semantics, Mari. Because it has tomatoes, I think some people think of it as a pasta salad.
Made this for dinner and the family loved it! My daughter said the roasted tomatoes reminded her of being in Italy. I made a half recipe of the pasta, which could easily feed 6 instead of 4, but ended up using a full recipe of the tomatoes as everyone kept going back for more. I also served the pasta with a little crab on the side. Delicious!
That's awesome, Kim! You can take a little culinary trip to Italy any time the urge strikes you 😋. Thanks for sharing your results!
Thanks for the information Chris, will give that a try, going to have a Instacart delivery from them tomorrow.
You're welcome, Karen!
I have not made this yet, but plan on buying one of Costco's rotesserrie chickens this weekend and will serve this as the side. As always, your salads and dressings are amazing. I have never understood the lure of mozzerella chesses other than the fact that it melts well. To me, it is simply a rubbery, almost tastless cheese. So, I will use different cheese, maybe a good Swiss, Fontina or Havarti. Any suggestions? Thanks for all your great recipes, they are always wonderful
Hi Karen, Thanks for your kind words. 💕
I agree that regular mozzarella would not be so great in this recipe.
But fresh mozzarella is pretty amazing, especially if the pasta is a little warm and it gets soft and a little melty. If you're going to Costco, I would encourage you to pick up their fresh mozzarella that's packed in oil, the little balls. Cut each one in half or quarters and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It's lovely with roasted tomatoes and fresh herbs.
The in-laws are comin! and will make this salad and some grilled shrimp for lunch. If I could get some yeast here in NC!! I would make one of your bread recipes too. I think I can roast the tomatoes the day before? Can't wait to try the salad cause sounds just awesome.
Hi Kathleen, sounds delicious! Yes, you can make the tomatoes the day before. Try to handle the tomatoes as gently as possible after they are finished cooking to keep them pretty and intact for your pasta salad. Enjoy!
A dear friend just brought over a bowl of this salad.
Yum . . Its a winner!!!
Thanks, Pam! We love that salad too! 💕
Loved this recipe! Flavorful and colorful!
Thanks so much, Karen! We appreciate you taking the time to share your results 🙂
Could I use dry basil?
You definitely could. But if you can find fresh basil, it would be better. 🙂
Amazing, I love Mozzarella Pasta. I tried it. Its delicious. Your recipes are superb. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Pavitra!
Fresh and delicious!!!!! Absolutely. I just took some roasted tomatoes out of the oven, but they were Romas and I'm making sauce. 🙂 I need to find some cherry or grape tomatoes so I can make this salad.
Thanks Debra, hope you get to enjoy this before the summer's gone!
Wow. this dish just screams SUMMER!! Looks wonderful, and perfect for the hot weather we've been having. Thanks!
Beautiful pasta dish. Love the color and flavor. I wish to grab a bite straight through the page. Yum 🙂
Beautiful salad indeed, it has summer written all over it!
Oh, wow, this screams summer! Loaded with flavor and color, too -- what a superb recipe. Thanks!
A hearty and simple to prepare recipe to make a family happy. Very summery too! So sharing this.
Made this tonight for the first time - absolutely LOVED it! I am so glad to have these tomatoes in my life 🙂
Thanks Anna, I'm making this for a wedding brunch on Saturday!
Made this last week and it is wonderful! My son could not stop eating it. Later in the week I added some shredded chicken to it!
The neighbors that didn't get to taste this must be insanely jealous! Delicious meal with no meat required.
I forgot to rate the recipe with my last post.
Chris, I just finished making this dish. I love your method of cooking the corn in the microwave. I had my doubts, because we like the grill marks on the corn. However, this was not in the cards for me this morning, and now I have learned a new method to get that fresh corn taste even faster. Thanks!
The dish is very pretty, and tastes wonderful. I did add some fresh lemon juice and zest because we love lemon. I also had Havarti Dill cheese from a family run dairy where my mom grew up over on the west coast near Eureka, CA. I cut that up into small chunks and it is delicious with this pasta dish. I love your summery, light and healthy dishes which always inspire me to keep up with all the beautiful produce we have here right now.
I am insanely happy just looking at the photos! Roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil.....oh, my! 🙂
It kind of just yells SUMMER, doesn't it Wendy?
Yup, this could be my dinner. All.Week.Long!
I know, some recipes I could eat over and over - and this is one of them!
just what we need on our plates for August...love love love...enjoy the rest of the summer xoxo
Thanks Beverley! You too!
Have had this bookmarked. Making this tomorrow. Will report back.
Please do Mary!
I think I've visited your page a dozen times to leave a comment, Chris, and then something tears me away. I'm completely obsessed with this dish and I made it the other day minus the corn (didn't have any but will use it next time) This was so delicious and I can't wait to try it again!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Robyn! It's definitely a keeper!
Chris! I have to admit that you made me love salads and thanks for making me drool all over my keyboard 🙂
You might need one of those plastic covers Muna! LOL
LOL !
the fact that you put corn in there just sent it right over the top for me Chris --- I wish I was your neighbor 🙂
Wouldn't we get into all kinds of trouble, Sue?!?
Just stunning! and so very healthy too. You are the best cook ever! And your husband ought to be a photographer for a magazine.
Ginny, you are such an encourager, thanks! And Scott says thanks too!
Sounds like a wonderful summer salad. I love the tomatoes in the recipe. Love the color of the salad.
Thanks so much Dawn! I'm always trying to think light in the summer, aren't you?
So gorgeous and summery, Chris! I'm off to the farmer's market and I'm adding corn to my list so that I can make this pasta over the weekend!
Don't you just love going there? It's such a brief time during the year, but what a wonderful time!
You are right - this has summer written all over it! All the great summer favorites in one bowl - perfect and beautiful!
Thanks Tricia!
Beautiful pasta dish Chris, Love all the color and flavor. Wish I was you next door neighbor.;)
That's so sweet of you to say Cheri! We'd be great neighbors!
This is just the most perfect bowl of summer goodness! Love everything about it. And I just found a 3/4 full box of ditalini in my cupboard yesterday. It's meant to be 🙂
Sounds like a match made in foodie heaven Jennifer!
So FRESH and all those tomatoes...I am in love with this simple yet stunning dish!
Thanks Angie! The tomatoes are coming in from Scott's garden by the truckload, so this one is perfect!
Looks FANTASTIC!
Thanks Monique! It's definitely a great, light summer recipe!