Pasta with Chopped Tomatoes, Black Olives, Capers, Fresh Mozzarella
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. I used to eat it almost every Sunday night at Grazie. I also always keep the ingredients in my refrigerator in case I have a craving. This pasta dish is one of the original ones put on the menu in the early 1990’s. I have had many requests for the recipe so I hope you enjoy making at home as much as we enjoyed making it for you at the restaurant. The flavors balance each other so perfectly in this dish. I love the contrast between the sweet grape tomatoes and the salty capers and black olives. I like to use a lot of garlic in this dish. I slice the garlic clove in thin slices and then light brown them in the oil before adding the tomatoes, black olives and capers. The flavors all combine together with the vegetable broth to make the most delicious tomato sauce. This pasta is perfect to serve in the Summer or Winter. It is an interesting take on a vegetarian pasta. Linguine Amalfi also makes great leftovers. My nieces Kayla and Alexa love saving a little so they can reheat it a day or two later. I must admit that I definitely agree with them. The sauce seeps into the pasta and makes it so delicious. If I leave a bowl of Amalfi in my fridge I watch it disappear because my family loves heating up a bit as a snack. You can just spoon some into a bowl and a quick 2 minutes in the microwave and you have lunch, dinner or an afternoon snack.
My lunch the next day. Linguine Amalfi sprinkled with grated parmesan. See how the parmesan sticks to the pasta? So good….
You can prepare this pasta in a matter of minutes and your whole family will enjoy it. I also recommend serving it when you have company coming over. The colors look so beautiful on the plate and the ingredients are vegetarian friendly. I would love to hear your comments.
Linguine Amalfi
Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine – I prefer Rustichella D'abruzzo brand
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic – peeled and sliced thin
- 1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes – cut in half
- ½ cup kalamata olives – pitted and cut in half
- ¼ cup capers
- 6 oz fresh mozzarella – cut into cubes
- 4 leaves fresh basil – chiffonade
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup pasta cooking liquid
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp butter
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook linguine according to directions
- In a large pan add olive oil
- Saute garlic until light brown on both sides
- Add tomatoes, capers, basil and olives and saute for a few minutes
- Add vegetable broth, pasta liquid, tomato paste, butter and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes
- Add linguine and toss well
- Add fresh mozzarella, toss and serve