Pasta fredda alla caprese with olives and basil

Name: Pasta fredda alla caprese with olives and basil
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 220 g Fusilli (220 g dried pasta, with a cooking time of 10–12 minutes on the packet); 250 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) (2 × 125 g balls, drained; or 250 g ciliegine (small mozzarella balls)); 300 g Cherry tomatoes (about 20 tomatoes, a little over half a 500 g punnet); 60 g Black olives in brine (Kalamata, Gaeta or Israeli) (60 g pitted, about 20 olives; if unpitted, crush with the flat of a knife to remove the stones); 15 g Fresh basil (about 30 leaves, a generous third of a 50 g bunch); 55 g Extra virgin olive oil (5½ tbsp: 40 g to marinate the tomatoes, 10 g for the pasta and ½ tbsp (5 g) to drizzle over at serving); 8 g Red wine vinegar (½ tbsp (1½ tsp)); 1 g Dried oregano (1 tsp); 3 g Garlic (½ small clove); 2000 g Water (2 litres to cook the pasta, then drained away); 23 g Fine salt (20 g in the 2 litres of water (about 2 g retained in the pasta, the rest drained away) + 3 g, or ½ tsp, on the tomatoes); 1 g Fleur de sel (2 pinches, over the mozzarella to serve); 0.5 g Black peppercorns (5 grinds of the pepper mill)

dairy main dish · Italian · 1/5 · very easy · 35 min, including 15 hands-on

An Italian summer pasta salad: just-al-dente fusilli, cherry tomatoes marinated with salt, garlic and olive oil to make their own dressing, hand-torn mozzarella, black olives, oregano and plenty of basil.

Ingredients for two

220 g	Fusilli 220 g dried pasta, with a cooking time of 10–12 minutes on the packet
250 g	Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) 2 × 125 g balls, drained; or 250 g ciliegine (small mozzarella balls)
300 g	Cherry tomatoes about 20 tomatoes, a little over half a 500 g punnet
60 g	Black olives in brine (Kalamata, Gaeta or Israeli) 60 g pitted, about 20 olives; if unpitted, crush with the flat of a knife to remove the stones
15 g	Fresh basil about 30 leaves, a generous third of a 50 g bunch
55 g	Extra virgin olive oil 5½ tbsp: 40 g to marinate the tomatoes, 10 g for the pasta and ½ tbsp (5 g) to drizzle over at serving
8 g	Red wine vinegar ½ tbsp (1½ tsp)
1 g	Dried oregano 1 tsp
3 g	Garlic ½ small clove
2000 g	Water 2 litres to cook the pasta, then drained away
23 g	Fine salt 20 g in the 2 litres of water (about 2 g retained in the pasta, the rest drained away) + 3 g, or ½ tsp, on the tomatoes
1 g	Fleur de sel 2 pinches, over the mozzarella to serve
0.5 g	Black peppercorns 5 grinds of the pepper mill

Method

Bring the 2 litres of water to the boil over a high heat with the lid on (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, take out the mozzarella, tear it by hand into 2 cm pieces and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper until assembly: it will release its whey rather than water down the salad.
As soon as the water is on the heat, halve the tomatoes and put them in the salad bowl with the 3 g salt, grated garlic, 5 grinds of pepper, vinegar and 40 g oil. Add the halved olives and rub the oregano between your fingers over the bowl. Stir and leave to marinate until assembly, about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice: the tomatoes should sit in their pinkish juices, which will form the dressing.
When the water boils, add the 20 g salt, then the fusilli once it returns to the boil. Stir for the first minute, then cook uncovered at a lively boil over a medium-high heat for the time on the packet (10–12 minutes). Taste 1 minute before the stated time is up: the pasta should be tender with a little bite at the centre, but no raw white spot. Drain at this point, not earlier: pasta firms up as it cools.
Drain the pasta without rinsing, spread it in the large dish, drizzle with the 10 g oil and immediately toss to coat thoroughly. Stir 2 or 3 times as it cools for 5–8 minutes: it is ready when it is no longer steaming and you can hold a handful comfortably.
Tip the pasta into the salad bowl and toss with the tomatoes and their juices. Add the drained mozzarella and torn basil leaves and mix gently. Taste a piece of pasta, a tomato and a piece of mozzarella together; add a pinch of salt if needed and drizzle with the ½ tbsp uncooked olive oil. Serve half per person at room temperature, with the fleur de sel sprinkled over the mozzarella.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.

Lighter version

How the taste changes:

Less mozzarella means fewer tender, milky mouthfuls, with more tomato in each bite of pasta. Rocket adds a peppery bitterness, and less oil lets the acidity of the marinated tomatoes stand out.

Fusilli : 140 g
Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid) : 125 g
Extra virgin olive oil : 30 g
add Rocket 60 g (1 handful per plate)

In step 2, marinate the tomatoes with 20 g oil instead of 40 g.

In step 5, add the rocket with the basil.

In step 5, omit the final drizzle of uncooked olive oil.

70 g pasta and half a ball of mozzarella per person, with added rocket; the same salted tomato marinade.

On your plate

Recipe

1007 kcal · protein 36 g · carbs 82 g · fat 58 g

Quantities per person

110 g Fusilli
125 g Fresh fior di latte mozzarella (125 g ball in liquid)
150 g Cherry tomatoes
30 g Black olives in brine (Kalamata, Gaeta or Israeli)
7.5 g Fresh basil
27.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
4 g Red wine vinegar
0.5 g Dried oregano
1.5 g Garlic
1000 g Water
11.5 g Fine salt
0.5 g Fleur de sel
0.25 g Black peppercorns

Cooking tips

If using ciliegine (small mozzarella balls), simply cut them in half. Choose short pasta with ridges, such as fusilli or casarecce, to hold the tomato juices. To prepare ahead, or the day before for Saturday lunch, cover and refrigerate, keeping the mozzarella and basil separate if the salad will stand for more than 2 hours. Take it out 30 minutes before the meal, then freshen it up at the last moment with 1 tbsp uncooked olive oil, a pinch of salt, the mozzarella and freshly torn basil.

Equipment : 3 litre saucepan with a lid, colander, large 30 cm dish or baking tray, 3 litre salad bowl and spoon, knife and chopping board, fine grater, kitchen paper

Pasta fredda alla caprese, the summer pasta salad of southern Italy: tomatoes marinated with salt and oil, mozzarella, basil and oregano.

Pasta fredda alla caprese with olives and basil

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On your plate

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