One-Pan Caprese Pasta
Caprese pasta is a fast, easy, and flavorful pasta dish that comes together in less than 20 minutes. It’s bursting with flavor from sweet tomatoes, pesto, a touch of balsamic vinegar, and creamy fresh mozzarella.
One-pot pasta recipes are the best idea ever because they are fast to cook, and cleanup is a breeze. This Caprese pasta checks all of the boxes when you’re short on time but want a dinner that looks and tastes like you spent hours making it.
If you love one-pan pasta and whole grain recipes, try my pappardelle pasta primavera and sun-dried tomato farrotto, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients needed to make one-pan Caprese pasta. Substitutions and variations are in the section below.
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with measurements.
Pasta. I recommend whole grain thin spaghetti if you’re serving this for dinner. It has more fiber and texture than white pasta, which is nice when using a thin pasta. I’ve listed other pasta options in the section below.
Tomatoes. Grape tomatoes have more “meat” and less juice than cherry tomatoes. However, cherry tomatoes are sweeter. Both are delicious in Caprese pasta.
Fresh mozzarella. Look for fresh mozzarella in the water-filled containers in the fresh or gourmet cheese department. The tiny pearl-sized mozzarella is ideal, but ciliegine works well too and is often easier to find. If you have marinated bocconcini mozzarella, cut it in half or quarters and use that for even more flavor.
Pesto. Use homemade if you have it. If not, I love Costco’s Kirkland brand, but any prepared pesto does the job.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vary the pasta shapes. Angel hair or thin spaghetti cooks very quickly and is delicious warm. For a thicker pasta, use bucatini. To serve this cold as a pasta salad, use farfalle (bowties) or rotini pasta.
- Swap a teaspoon or two of Italian herb seasoning plus shredded fresh basil for the pesto.
- Did you make my roasted grape tomatoes with garlic? Stir the tomatoes into this recipe.
- Use garden-fresh tomatoes. If you’re making this in the summer and have vine-ripe tomatoes of any size, use them! Cut them into 1-inch pieces.
- Use bottled balsamic glaze instead of making your own. Note, though, that most bottled balsamic glaze has sugar and preservatives.
- Add some sliced grilled chicken to this pasta dish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Make the balsamic glaze. Simmer the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan for four to five minutes or until it’s thick and coats the back of a spoon. It should reduce to about two tablespoons. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
2. Saute the vegetables. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and cut the tomatoes in half. Saute the onion until light golden, then add the garlic and tomatoes and saute them for about one more minute.
3. Add the pasta and broth. Nestle the pasta into the pan, breaking it up if necessary. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the pasta until it’s cooked. Angel hair or thin spaghetti will cook in about four minutes. Thicker pasta will take a few more minutes. Stir the pasta occasionally so it doesn’t clump together.
4. Stir in the pesto and mozzarella. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pesto and then the mozzarella balls. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the finished pasta before serving.
Expert Tips
The pasta-to-liquid ratio in this one-pan Caprese pasta may vary slightly depending on the type of pasta you use. Eight ounces of pasta to two cups of water or broth is ideal for very thin, quick-cooking pasta. If you use a thicker strand pasta, ziti, rotini, or farfalle, increase the liquid to 2 ¼ to 2 ½ cups as needed. If the pasta seems dry when you’re stirring it, add extra broth.
The finished pasta may seem too saucy at first, but the sauce will thicken up as it cools. I prefer to have a little extra liquid in the finished dish because it always tightens up by the time I serve it.
Don’t add salt until after you stir in the pesto and taste the pasta. Some brands of pesto are quite salty.
If you prefer your tomatoes less cooked, don’t sauté them. Instead, add them in with the pesto and mozzarella at the end.
Make sure you add the pesto and mozzarella AFTER you remove the pasta pan from the heat. If the pan is too hot, the cheese will melt and clump.
What to Eat With Caprese Pasta
Serve this tasty pasta dish with:
- A crisp green salad or warm spinach salad.
- A colorful fennel and orange salad.
- Cabbage, carrot, and beet slaw.
- Grilled lemon, garlic, and herb chicken
- A slice of lemon olive oil cake for dessert.
Related Pasta Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page. Your email will not appear publicly!
One-Pan Caprese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion minced
- 2 medium garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth if preferred. You may need an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup if using a thicker pasta.
- 8 ounces whole grain thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- 1/3 cup prepared pesto or less to taste
- fresh basil leaves to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saute pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for four to five minutes or until the vinegar is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and it reduces to about two tablespoons. Set this aside.
- In a large saute pan with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat, and add the onions. Saute for about five minutes or until they turn golden. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Saute for another minute.
- Add the broth and pasta and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the pasta and make sure it's submerged in the broth. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pasta cook until al dente. Stir the pasta occasionally so it doesn't clump together. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extra broth if the pasta seems dry.NOTE: cook time will depend on the thickness of your pasta. Angel hair pasta cooks in about four minutes, while thicker pasta, like rotini, will take about 10 minutes.
- When the pasta is cooked, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the pesto and then add the mozzarella. Taste the pasta and add salt if necessary.Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the pasta (you may have to heat it for a few seconds on the stove if it's too thick to drizzle. Top with sliced fresh basil if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
If you print this recipe, you can scan the QR code below to see updates and tips or leave a comment.
I pretty much eat this all summer long – posted very similar recipe at beginning of summer with asparagus thrown in as well. #CapreseLove
Ooo love the idea of asparagus! I’ll have to try that one 🙂
this looks like the perfect end-of-summer meal, Anne! Definitely making this while I still have tomatoes on hand!
Yes it is! Hope you enjoy it Jessica!