BB: Sundried Tomato and Fresh Mozzerella Pasta

The month of July brought us Barefoot Bloggers a very tasty recipe... actually, one of the best recipes I've tried yet! Thank you to Cat from the blog Delta Whiskey for selecting the Barefoot Contessa's Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes ... or as I refer to it "Sundried Tomato and Fresh Mozzerella Pasta" (because really, how could you omit the fresh mozzerella from the title?).

I was thrilled to try a dish that I would have tons of leftovers from to bring for lunch. And this was the perfect dish for it (although I wasn't a fan of re-heating ... better to have it cold!). My husband also raved about this dish -- he too agreed that this was one of the best dishes we've made yet in the Barefoot Bloggers. The flavors -- with the mix of the salty and sweet of the sundried tomatoes, the richness of the cheese, and the freshness of the vine ripened tomatoes and then the almost sour taste of the dressing -- all balanced each other very nicely. Originally, my husband prepared a side of turkey for himself, but found that the pasta stood on its own as a meal.

I definitely urge others to try this recipe! Although, I will let you know, that my pasta didn't warm up well. I think the vinegar in the dressing in particular didn't take to warming up...

RECIPE: Barefoot Contessa's Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

DRESSING:

• 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1 teaspoon capers, drained
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.