What Dad Cooked: Pasta Caprese

     My Mom's birthday fell on a Friday.  My Dad had the day off so he did all of the grocery shopping and met me at my house after work to help prepare a delicious birthday dinner for my Mom and the rest of our family.  By the time I got home, my Dad was already over and making himself right at home in my kitchen.  He has a very similar style as me in the kitchen, not too precise with measurements, fairly laid back, and a little bit messy.  We found this recipe together earlier in the week, it seemed simple enough but I wondered if it would be flavorful because it was so simple.  There was no need for worry, because this pasta was so great!  The oil and vinegar sauce mixed with the fresh tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella was perfect.

Caprese Pasta

Ingredients
5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced *
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lb rigatoni
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
15-20 fresh basil leaves, shredded

*To peel, seed, and dice tomatoes but a shallow X on the bottoms of the tomatoes.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the tomatoes in for about 15 seconds.  Remove the tomatoes immediately using a slotted spoon.  Place the tomatoes into  a pot of ice water.  Now the skins should be easy to remove.  My dad then just squeezed the tomatoes to remove the seeds and diced them up.

Method
1. Place the diced tomatoes in a colander for about 15 minutes to remove any extra juice.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Mix and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
3. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
4. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
5. Add the tomato mixture, mozzarella, and basil.  Toss and serve.