Fresh Pizza Pasta

A fresh and easy pasta dish that children and adults will love! Barbara Stein shares her recipe for Fresh Pizza Pasta.

Though not the original name for this recipe, the aroma coming from the kitchen earned it a new name. "It smells like Margherita Pizza!" they said, and my children were correct. It's a really quick dish to cook, and the fresh flavors make a delicious summer supper. If you want to serve it on another night, cooked chicken or shrimp would make a delightful addition.

Fresh Pizza Pasta

1 lb. linguine
kosher salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
recipe of fresh pesto (recipe below)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving two cups of pasta water before draining. In same pasta pot, heat olive oil. Add tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Add pasta, pesto, and enough pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, to make a nice sauce. Pour into serving bowl and add bits of fresh mozzarella. Toss well and serve with crusty bread, and a salad or cooked green vegetable.

Fresh Nut-Free Pesto

4 ounces shredded Parmesan
1-1/2 cups loosely packed basil
1-1/2 cups loosely-packed Italian parsley
1/4 cup shopped chives
1/3 cup olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
kosher salt to taste