Thursday, April 22, 2010

Tomato Basil Pasta

Posted by Tina / 2 comments » / *Recipes, Chicken/Poultry, Main Courses, Pasta, Vegetarian

My Basil Plant is getting out of control:

So on Monday, I decided to make something to use some of it up. My sister in-law Heather and I have a love for this pasta dish that Cheesecake Factory has, so I tried to recreate it. DELICIOUS.

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Tomato Basil Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Box Whole Wheat Penne
1 Box Campari Tomatoes (on sale this week- but you could substitute any type though)
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes with Garlic and Onion (Publix Brand)
4-5 Cloves Garlic
Fresh Mini Mozzerella Balls (found in the special cheese section in the Deli)
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Salt
Pepper/Cayenne to Taste
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil

Directions:

Boil Water and Cook pasta to liking (I like mine softer than al dente).

Heat up a few TBS of Olive Oil in a Large Skillet (I used a Cast-Iron one b/c I'm obsessed hah). Add the Fresh Tomatos (Roughly Chopped) and Saute on Medium-High for about 8 minutes. Then Chop up 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic and add to the tomatoes. I also added a few dashes of garlic salt, cayenner, and pepper. Saute another 4 minutes making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the two can's of tomatoes (I drained out most of the liquid using the top of the can). Add a few more TBS of Olive oil to the pan. You can also add a few splashes of Red Wine if you like (I didn't have an open bottle when I made this).

Drain the Hot Pasta and then place into a large bowl. Sprinkle the Mini Mozzerella balls all over the hot pasta. Slowly pour the hot sauce on top and then gently toss. Add some fresh chopped basil and Toss again. Lastly, Top with some fresh grated parmesan. ENJOY. So fresh and Delicious.

I served this with marinated Grilled Chicken (Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, & Pepper)- great combo! 🙂

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2 Responses to “Tomato Basil Pasta”

  1. 1

    Sarah — April 27, 2010 @ 4:45 pm

    I'm making this tonight! Can't wait!

  2. 2

    Donna — August 17, 2012 @ 12:16 pm

    I’m making this tonight! I was in Hawaii and went to the Cheesecake Factory there and loved everything I ate there especially this Pasta dish. It was fantastic. We don’t have a Cheesecake Factory here in Canada (where I live anyway) so I’m so excited to make this. Thank you!

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