Fusilli alla Caprese
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Simple yet spectacular, this fusilli alla Caprese requires just a handful of ingredients, comes together quickly, and is delicious hot or cold.
Cooking weeknight dinners can sometimes feel like a chore, but when a dish is as simple and spectacular as this one, it can almost be relaxing. Adapted from Giada De Laurentis, this fusilli alla caprese recipe requires just a handful of high-quality ingredients. (And if you love the idea of a pasta dish that’s made with just a few ingredients, I bet you’ll love my cacio e pepe and spaghetti aglio e olio). The best part about this fusilli recipe? The sauce comes together in less time than it takes to boil the pasta. It’s even delicious cold, so if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you’ve got an easy lunch ready to go!
“Love this! Easy to make and delicious! It’s definitely a crowd pleaser, too! One of my go to recipes.”
What You’ll Need To Make Fusilli Alla Caprese
- Fusilli Pasta: Fusilli is the ideal pasta shape for this recipe – because of its corkscrew shape, the sauce clings nicely to it. But if you’re unable to find fusilli in your store, rotini, penne, or farfalle pastas are all good alternatives.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and depth to the dish, serving as the base for the sauce. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil here. My favorite brands are Lucini and Colavita
- Garlic: Infuses the olive oil with aromatic flavor, giving the sauce its savory foundation.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Brings natural sweetness and acidity, creating a fresh, vibrant sauce when cooked down. If your store happens to carry packages of assorted colors of cherry tomatoes, I love the color they add to the dish; if not no worries – it will still be lovely.
- Fresh Basil: Introduces a fragrant, herbaceous note that brightens the dish.
- Fresh Mozzarella Pearls: Provides a creamy, melty texture that contrasts beautifully with the pasta and sauce. These are the tiniest mozzarella balls, named for their size. Most large supermarkets carry them conveniently packaged in 8-oz pouches but, if you can’t find them, simply buy a ball of fresh mozzarella and dice it into cubes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by boiling the fusilli until al dente. You’ll need to reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water to use in the sauce. It’s easy to forget when you drain the pasta, so I always set out a liquid measuring cup as a visual reminder.
Next, use a small serrated knife to halve the cherry tomatoes.
Make the sauce: in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes; do not burn.
Add the halved tomatoes, salt, and pepper and increase the heat to medium-high.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to soften and burst, 4 to 5 minutes.
Using a fork, smash the tomatoes into a chunky sauce.
Add the drained fusilli to the pan and toss to combine.
Right before serving, toss in the basil and mozzarella pearls. (It’s important to do this at the last minute so the cheese doesn’t melt too much.)
Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the reserved pasta water little by little if the pasta seems dry. Spoon into bowls and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely—grape tomatoes are a perfect substitute. Just halve them as you would with cherry tomatoes.
Yep! If you’d like to reheat it, use the microwave and reheat until just warmed through. It’s also delicious cold.
Sure, grilled chicken, shrimp, or even some crispy pancetta would be great additions.
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Fusilli alla Caprese
Simple yet spectacular, this fusilli alla Caprese requires just a handful of ingredients, comes together quickly, and is delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli (or similar) pasta
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups (about 1½ pints) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup fresh packed basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls (alternatively, you can use an 8-oz ball of fresh mozzarella, diced)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes; do not burn. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to soften and burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a fork, smash the tomatoes into a chunky sauce. Add the drained fusilli to the pan and toss to combine. Right before serving, toss in the basil and mozzarella pearls. (It's important to do this at the last minute so the cheese doesn't melt too much.) Taste and adjust seasoning, adding the reserved pasta water little by little if the pasta seems dry. Spoon into bowls and serve.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 520
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 506 mg
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn, I use your recipes religiously throughout the week and sing your praises to everyone who asks for a recipe. I kept skipping by this one because it seemed too simple to be great. I’m mad I waited this long to try this one. Delicious cold and hot. Another homer.
If I don’t have fresh basil could I use dry basil?
Hi Jackie, Yes, you can use dried basil in place of the fresh but keep in mind that you will need much less. Also, while the dried basil will add flavor and some color here, it does have a very very different taste than fresh. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Delicious! Unfortunately I found the skins of the cherry tomatoes to be tough after cooking and then adding to pasta. Suggestions? I definitely want to make this again. Thanks!
Glad you liked it! I the tomato skins really bother you and you don’t mind the extra step, you can blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. See how here. Hope that helps!
This is a super simple recipe! So quick to put together and very tasty! I never would have thought to throw these few simple ingredients together to make such a satisfying dish. I know my palette so I adjust accordingly. I love garlic so I added a bit more! I also doubled the basil because I love it! My bag of pasta only contained 12oz of pasta that is what I used. I did need to add the reserved pasta water and it made a perfectly lovely sauce!! Just a wonderfully simple recipe to throw into my rotation!!
Hi Jenny, love your recipes as they are easy to do. For this, can I substitute Parmesan cheese with mozzarella balls?
So glad you like the recipes! I like the texture that the mozzarella balls add here, but you can definitely substitute with parm. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Wanted to make this but vegan. Can you do without the mozzarella or should you use vegan cheese? Thanks!
Sure, Alyssa, vegan cheese would work as a replacement for the mozzarella. Hope you enjoy!
Excellent but with real fusilli. The long, skinny kind. That was Rotini in the recipe. Delicious though. (Box said Fusilli but mistake)
I love the flavours of a caprese salad and I love a good pasta salad so I am keen to make this work. My first attempt had far too much pasta for the number of servings and the flavours didn’t come through. On my second attempt I reduced the amount of pasta by half and increased the fresh basil by 4 times. It was getting better, but I think I still have too much pasta per serving. I am wondering if I am misunderstanding the measurement for the pasta…I am assuming that you are referring to the weight of the pasta when it is dry. Also, I don’t always have fusilli pasta on hand and have been liberal in making substitutions in the type of pasta. Do you think that would be factor?
So only 3 stars as written but I am still working on making it a 5.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Carol, Sorry this hasn’t been a 5 for you but glad you’re persisting! You’re correct that the pound of pasta is the uncooked measurement. And fusilli is the ideal pasta shape for this recipe – because of its corkscrew shape, the sauce clings nicely to it. But no worries if you’re unable to find fusilli in your store — rotini, penne, or farfalle pastas are all good alternatives. Hope that helps!
Absolutely delicious and yet so simple. Company worthy!
I wanted to pair this with a salad but can’t decide between Italian or Caesar. Which would you recommend? Thank you in advance Chef!
Hi Marsha, Honestly, either would be very good but I’d probably go with Italian.
We added halved pitted ripe olives -fabulous!
Dottie in North Carolina