Fusilli alla Caprese
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Garlicky olive oil, burst cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil come together in this fusilli alla caprese—a simple dish that tastes like summer.
Cooking weeknight dinners can sometimes feel like a chore, but when a dish is this simple and tasty, it can almost be a pleasure. Adapted from Giada De Laurentis, this fusilli alla caprese recipe requires just a handful of high-quality ingredients. The sauce comes together faster than the pasta takes to boil, and it’s just as delicious cold—so if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you’ve got an easy lunch ready to go.
This is just the kind of quick and delicious meal we all need when it’s too hot to cook. Want to add some protein? Grilled chicken, pesto shrimp, or even crispy pancetta are all great options. And for more simple weeknight pasta ideas, don’t miss my spaghetti aglio e olio, pesto pasta, and pasta primavera recipes.
“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. Rotini, penne, or farfalle pastas are all good alternatives.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness to the sauce. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil here. My favorite supermarket brands are Lucini, California Olive Ranch, and Colavita.
- Garlic & Basil: Garlic gently perfumes the olive oil without taking over, while fresh basil tossed in at the end adds a bright note that makes the whole dish sing.
- Cherry Tomatoes: These little gems cook down into a sauce that’s sweet, tangy, and bright. If you spot a mix of colors at the store, grab them—they make the dish even prettier. If not, plain red ones do the job just fine. Grape tomatoes also work well.
- Fresh Mozzarella Pearls: These are the tiniest mozzarella balls, named for their size. Most large supermarkets carry them conveniently packaged in 8-oz pouches; 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
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Boil the fusilli until it’s just al dente. Don’t forget to save about ½ cup of that starchy pasta water—it’s key for the sauce. I always keep a liquid measuring cup nearby as a little reminder so it doesn’t slip my mind when I drain the pasta.
Step 2: Start the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until it’s fragrant—about 2 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn and turn bitter.
Step 3: Add tomatoes and seasoning. Add the halved tomatoes, salt, and pepper and increase the heat to medium-high.
Step 4: Cook the tomatoes until they burst. Stir the tomatoes every now and then until they start to soften and burst. It should take about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Finish the sauce by smashing the tomatoes. Use a fork to break them down into a chunky, rustic sauce that’s full of fresh flavor.
Step 6: Toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the drained fusilli to the pan and stir everything together.
Step 7: Finish the dish. 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.) Give everything a taste and add the reserved pasta water a little at a time if the pasta seems dry. Then, spoon into bowls and enjoy!
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Fusilli alla Caprese
Ingredients
- 1 lb 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 packed fresh 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 (120 ml) 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
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