Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

Roasted Caprese Spaghetti

Aired on: August 21, 2008, May 16, 2008

Rachael turns the favorite Italian salad of mozzarella, basil and tomato into a yummy pasta supper.

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
1 pint red grape tomatoes
1 pint yellow grape tomatoes
Salt and ground black pepper
3 cups (about 1 large bunch) arugula, washed and stem ends removed
1 cup basil, leaves removed from stems
6 to 8 sprigs tarragon, leaves removed from stems
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons EVOO- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, cut into small dice
1 loaf crusty bread

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil, generously salt the water and cook the spaghetti to al dente, according to package directions. Before draining pasta, reserve about a cup of the starchy cooking liquid.

On a baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with one turn of the pan of EVOO, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and bursting, about 10 minutes.

While the tomatoes are roasting, start the pesto: In a food processor, add the arugula, basil, tarragon, pine nuts, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then drizzle in the EVOO with the machine running until it's all combined.

Scoop pesto into a mixing bowl, add the reserved pasta water, drained pasta, roasted tomatoes and mozzarella, and toss to coat. Serve with some warm, crusty bread alongside.