Spaghetti with Mozzarella
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Why I Love This Recipe
I love to cook, but sometimes need something easy & quick. This fits the bill. I adapted it from a Sophia Loren cookbook. You can use any vegetables you have and any left over meat (chicken or Italian sausage seem to work best, but I have used pork and beef as well) to make it your own. It makes a pretty dish to serve to guests. Nothing else is needed-- but I always have some Italian bread or bread sticks hanging around, making a great quick meal.
Ingredients You'll Need
1-2 pkg (16oz) thin spaghetti (not angel hair)
salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup baby carrots sliced in thin strips (or whole petite carrots)
1/2 bell pepper (red, orange or yellow) not green sliced in thin strips
1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 medium red onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup green Italian olives sliced
1/4 cup black Italian olives sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups perle or ciliegine size (small) mozzarella balls (if you can't find
this small use bocconcini size cut in half)
cracked pepper to taste
Italian parsley for garnish
Romano cheese to top
Optional to make a heartier meal: 1-2 cups thinly sliced grilled chicken or Italian sausage.
Directions
Boil water seasoned with the salt, add spaghetti and cook to al dente. Drain.
While pasta is cooking, add 1/3 cup olive oil to large pan on medium low heat.
Add carrots, bell pepper, garlic, onion, and oregano.
Stir about one minute to warm, (cook longer if you prefer soft vegetables).
Add grape tomatoes, green olives and black olives.
Stir another 1-2 minutes, you only want to warm them not cook them.
Toss in spaghetti, remove from heat.
Toss in mozzarella and stir.
Pour immediately into a large serving platter.
Top with parsley and Romano cheese.
If you wish to add the chicken or sausage, warm the meat first and toss in at the same time as the spaghetti.