Pasta with Garden Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 2/3 pound fresh mozzarella (1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 cup olive oil, 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped garlic1 pound pasta
- 4 cups chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
Directions
1. Toss mozzarella and salt together, and set aside. Fill a medium stockpot with water and bring to a boil.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender — about 10 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Add the tomatoes to the cooked onions, and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender — about 5 minutes.
4. Drain the pasta, and toss into the tomato-onion mixture to evenly coat. Remove from the heat and stir in the salted mozzarella and 1/4 cup Romano cheese.
5. Transfer to a large platter and garnish with fresh basil leaves and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately. 8 servings