A 15 minute spaghetti caprese recipe, perfect for weeknight meals! If you love the combination of fresh juicy tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, this will become your new favorite simple spaghetti recipe and a go-to for your busy evenings. Everything can be prepared while the spaghetti cooks, making it quick and easy to get a fresh and healthy dinner on the table.
Summer. Is. Coming! And I am jumping the gun a little with this recipe, but I just needed to break up the comfort food and roasted stuff with a little look ahead at summertime eating.
Oh yes. It’s going to happen. The days will get long, cherry tomatoes will be back in season, and we will be eating dinner outdoors again. And when that happens, this ridiculously simple Spaghetti Caprese will be on the menu. A lot.
It is well established that I love the combination of fresh juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. The simple caprese salad is one of the best things you can eat in the summer.
This recipe is a warmed up version of caprese salad, but with pasta! The perfect mix of refreshing and carby.
Now, don’t be fooled by appearances. There isn’t a sauce, per se, but the spaghetti strands are all coated in a delicious mix of olive oil, cherry tomato juices, garlic and white wine. Every bite is packed with flavor.
Ingredient Notes
- This dish is at it’s best when tomatoes are in season, but if they’re not, just get the best baby tomatoes you can afford. Add extra salt and maybe even butter while they are cooking, this will help the situation.
- It’s fresh mozzarella you need, the kind that’s stored in water. Bonus points for buffalo mozzarella but certainly not necessary. I happily make this with the cheapest stuff. In the absence of mozzarella, consider making this with the tomatoes only and then scooping some ricotta on top.
- If you don’t want to cook with wine, you can substitute some broth for wine. Add a little balsamic to your tomatoes while they cook if you do this.
- If you’re watching your carb intake, I see no reason this wouldn’t work with zoodles / courgetti instead of pasta. That would be mighty healthy, in fact.
How to make this Simple Spaghetti Caprese in 15 Minutes
This is a magical recipe where everything can come together while the pasta cooks.
So here’s a little run down (and I’ll repeat everything in the printable card at the bottom of the post, but this is just to give you a quick visual).
While the pasta water boils, rinse your tomatoes, tear up some basil, chop some garlic and mozzarella.
(The water may be ready before you’re done prepping. Go ahead and set the pasta cooking, and then carry on. You have time.)
While the pasta cooks, heat some olive oil in a pan and toss in your tomatoes.
Get them to start softening and bursting, then add lots of salt and pepper and garlic.
Once they’re all jammy and opening up, pour in some wine. Let it bubble, unstick anything that was sticking to the pan, and mingle with the tomato juices to create a light sauce.
You can turn off the heat now.
Once the spaghetti is done, drain it and set it aside.
Now add the basil and mozzarella to the pan with the tomatoes and mix in. But don’t mix for too long. We don’t want the mozzarella to melt too much.
Add the spaghetti, toss until everything is just combined and the mozzarella pieces are starting to melt a little.
Done! Plate it up and slurp away.
See how easy that was?
Simple Spaghetti Caprese
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 20 oz (600 g) cherry tomatoes
- 7 oz (200 g) mozzarella , more if you'd like to make a garnish on the top of each serving as pictured
- 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, or to taste
- ¼ cup (60 ml) white wine, or vegetable broth
- 11 oz (300 g) dry spaghetti
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, heat around 1 Tblsp olive oil in a pan and add in your whole cherry tomatoes.
- Saute until they start to soften and burst, then add your garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the garlic is cooked and the tomatoes are getting jammy and opening up, turn down the heat and add the wine to the pan. Let it bubble, unstick anything that was sticking to the pan, and mingle with the tomato juices to create a light sauce.
- Now remove the pan from the heat.
- Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and set it aside.
- Now add the basil and mozzarella to the pan with the tomatoes and mix until just combined. Add the pasta and 1 Tblsp olive oil. Toss to incorporate all of the ingredients, ensuring that the spaghetti strands are all coated in juices from the pan. No need to add any heat while mixing it all together – we don't want the mozzarella to melt too much.
- Serve.
Sounds simple enough but one question what type of broth works for a substitute for the wine? You just say broth not what kind. So that’s a bit confusing I have chicken so I’ll try that I guess.
Ah sorry, I am vegetarian so I would just use vegetable broth but chicken would definitely work too! You just wouldn’t want something dark. I will update the recipe to clarify.