One Pot Caprese Pasta

Name: One Pot Caprese Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4½ cups water; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta; 1 pint cherry tomatoes, (halved); ½ cup fresh basil leaves (packed); 3 cloves garlic, (minced); salt and freshly ground black pepper, (to taste); 1½ cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese; balls of fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves, (for garnish, optional)

by Katerina

3.67 from 6 votes

Apr 11, 2024

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This caprese pasta recipe with sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella is cooked all in one pot! It’s an easy dinner filled with fresh Italian-inspired flavors, ready in 25 minutes.

Can’t get enough of this tomato, basil, and mozzarella combo? Then please hop on over and try my caprese pork chops and balsamic chicken caprese, too.

A pot of bow-tie pasta topped with cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella balls.

Why You’ll Love This One Pot Caprese Pasta Recipe

One pot. Seriously, this caprese pasta is the easiest one-pot meal. The ingredients cook all together (even the pasta), so not only does it give those tomato-basil flavors plenty of time to mingle, but clean-up is quick and easy.
All the caprese flavor. With tender bowtie pasta, plump cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and melty mozzarella, this pasta has all the fresh ingredients we love in a Caprese salad. In pasta form, it’s a great meatless side dish or vegetarian meal.
Customizable. Of course, if you’re not vegetarian, go ahead and top your pasta with a juicy marinated chicken or your choice of protein. This recipe is super adaptable.
Give the oven the night off. I LOVE this caprese pasta in the summertime, and you will, too! Everything comes together on the stovetop, so there’s no need to turn on the oven.

Ingredients for caprese pasta with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You really only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy pasta, which is just one more thing that makes it great for everyday meals. I’ve included my notes below. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list.

Olive Oil – Choose a nice-quality olive oil for flavor. I highly recommend sticking with olive oil, and not swapping for another cooking oil, like canola.
Pasta – I use farfalle (bow-tie pasta), but you can use any pasta shape you’d like, whether it’s shells, penne, fusilli, etc. Even long pasta, like spaghetti or linguine, will work here.
Cherry Tomatoes – I love the sweetness of cherry or grape tomatoes. Feel free to use larger varieties, like Roma tomatoes, and dice them up, or you can even used canned tomatoes. Just keep in mind that larger tomatoes won’t hold their shape as well.
Basil and Garlic – Fresh basil leaves are a must, even better if they’re from the garden. Please don’t substitute dried basil here, if you can help it. The same goes for garlic. You can adapt the amount of cloves to taste.
Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese and balls of fresh mozzarella (a.k.a. mozzarella pearls) for garnish. Use partly skim mozzarella to keep things on the lighter side, or you can opt for full-fat cheese if you prefer.

How to Make Caprese Pasta

I’m a BIG fan (huge) of caprese pasta in the summertime, but this dish is so simple and so good that I’ll make it year-round. It takes just one pan, 25 minutes, and a few easy steps, which we’ll walk through here.

Halved cherry tomatoes, basil, and garlic added to a pot with pasta and water. — Cook the ingredients together.

A hand sprinkling shredded mozzarella cheese into a pot of cooked pasta. — Cook the ingredients together.

Combine the ingredients. To make this one pot pasta, add all of your ingredients (olive oil, pasta, halved tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic) to a stockpot with water. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook. Bring the pot to a boil, and then simmer for 11-12 minutes. The pasta should be tender and most of the water should be reduced.
Add the cheese. Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for a minute or two. This is important so that the cheese doesn’t curdle in the heat! Afterward, stir in your shredded mozzarella.
Serve. Give the pasta a final season with S&P, garnish with fresh basil and fresh mozzarella balls, and serve. I like to top the pasta with an extra drizzle of olive oil, too.

Close-up photo of pasta mixed with tomatoes, cheese balls, and basil leaves.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Save the cooking water. You want to make sure that some of the pasta water stays in the pan after cooking. The starches in the water emulsify with the shredded mozzarella cheese as it melts, creating a silky, flavorful sauce.
Avoid a watery pasta, though. If you find that there’s a lot of water left in the pan, you don’t need to save all of it. Don’t risk overcooking the pasta to reduce the water. Scoop out or drain off any excess before you add the cheese.
Gluten Free. If you use gluten-free pasta, keep in mind that it behaves differently during cooking, often being starchier and expanding more than traditional pasta. For 16 ounces of pasta, adding an extra cup of water should help adjust for these differences.
Use fresh mozzarella. If you can’t find small mozzarella pearls, but you find a large ball of mozzarella, chop the larger ball into small cubes.
Add onion. Finely diced mild onion, like shallot or Vidalia onion, would taste amazing in this pasta.
Add balsamic glaze. To really make this caprese pasta pop, give your plates a drizzle with balsamic reduction before serving.
More toppings. Spoon over homemade parsley pesto or ajvar (Macedonian red pepper relish, it goes with EVERYTHING!) for even more flavor.

Serving Suggestions

I love this caprese pasta served with kid-friendly garlic breadsticks and a side of green salad on weeknights. On weekends, nothing transports you to the Mediterranean coastline like a light and fresh tomato basil pasta paired with a Campari spritz and a starter of caponata or stuffed grape leaves.

When I can get my hands on fresh seafood, I’ll entertain friends with a plate of fritto misto before dishing up plates of caprese pasta topped with grilled chicken or shrimp scampi as a main. Summer meals outdoors don’t get much better!

Pasta caprese served in a bowl topped with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese balls, and fresh basil.

How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pasta

Refrigerate. Store any leftover caprese pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Leftovers are easy to warm up, and they’re also delicious when enjoyed cold, like a caprese pasta salad.
Reheat. To reheat this caprese pasta, warm portions in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop until hot throughout. If needed, sprinkle the pasta with a bit of water or drizzle over some olive oil to help loosen it up a bit on the reheat.

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3.67 from 6 votes