Pasta With Mint, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- ¼cup pine nuts
- ⅔cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 4cups fresh basil leaves, plus more torn leaves for garnish
- 1cup fresh mint leaves, plus more torn leaves for garnish
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- Pinch red chile flakes
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 8ounces fresh bocconcini or mozzarella, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 12ounces pasta, such as campanelle or fusilli
- Coarsely ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
897 calories; 53 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 27 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 70 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 584 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Step 2
In a blender or mini food processor, combine Parmesan, basil, mint, garlic, salt and chile flakes. Pulse to combine, then add oil and process until smooth, adding more oil if needed to make a smooth paste. Taste and adjust salt and chile flakes if needed.
- Step 3
Transfer 2 tablespoons sauce to a small bowl and stir in mozzarella. Cover and let marinate at room temperature while boiling the pasta.
- Step 4
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Use a mug to scoop out approximately ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl.
- Step 5
To serve, toss pasta with sauce and marinated mozzarella, adding a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture looks dry. (It’s O.K. if the mozzarella melts slightly while you’re tossing.) Top with pine nuts, torn basil and mint, black pepper, Parmesan and another drizzle of oil to serve.
Private Notes
Comments
Pine nuts from China are not real pine nuts. There have been serious problems with contamination as well.
Agreed. Put your colander in the bowl then drain the pasta there. The hot water will warm the bowl quickly. Dump it, dump the pasta in the bowl and voilà.
This was very tasty. I did add some finely chopped fresh tomato at the end for some sweetness, which I think made for a more interesting dish. Used toasted pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts (because I had them). A bit of lemon zest might not be bad, but that will be for next time.
Very easy and a tasty dinner that satisfied both the vegetarians and meat eaters in my family! My son is allergic to pine nuts so I used slivered almonds and added zucchini for a more complete vegetarian meal. I will make this again.
This is a summer favorite in our home, as soon as the mint and basil start flourishing. Today we made the pesto as directed (added the pine nuts to pesto as many others have) but broke a small burrata over each serving.* Really nice variation! *Because that’s what we had.
I can't figure out how to get the mozzarella to coat the pasta. I enjoyed the dish, but it had big globs of melted mozzarella + spices and nearly clean pasta. I used egg fettuccine, which is pretty shiny, but I think that the issue would be there for any shape or size.
Advertisement