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One of the recipes I look forward to making every summer with plump, peak-season tomatoes is a big caprese salad. It’s simple, but that’s what I love about it. When you use high-quality ingredients—milky buffalo mozzarella, fragrant basil, farmers market tomatoes—and let them truly shine, you can best appreciate their flavors and textures and how delicious they are together.
So, in honor of my love for all things caprese (like this sandwich, this chicken, and this corn salad), I wanted to create a pasta dish based on its signature tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella that was just as straightforward and summery.
How to Make My One-Pot Caprese Orzo
To keep the amount of effort as low as possible—it’s a summer recipe after all, and no one wants to spend too much time in a hot kitchen—I decided to make this caprese pasta in just one pot. I also reached for orzo, a rice-shaped pasta that works really well in one-pot preparations due to its small size and quick cooking time.
To make this dish, you’ll start by sautéing some halved cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced garlic in a little bit of olive oil. You can add chili flakes for a bit of spice, then toss in fresh basil leaves, orzo, vegetable broth (or water), and bring the whole thing up to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook the orzo through.
Once the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, you’ll remove the pot from the heat and finish with some more tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. I like to serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, but that’s it! If you love caprese, you have to put this easy 20-minute dish into your summertime dinner rotation.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Simple Variations
The simplicity of caprese salad lends itself to variation, as does this pasta-fied version. Here are some of my favorite options if you want to switch things up:
- Add basil pesto instead of the fresh basil. Swirl a few tablespoons into the dish when you remove it from the heat and add the fresh tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Finish with toasted pine nuts for added texture.
- Skip the mozzarella and top each serving with a quarter of a ball of burrata cheese for an extra creamy finish or cubes of smoked scamorza cheese for a smoky note.
- Add more protein by tossing in some shredded chicken.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
More Easy One-Pot and One-Pan Meals
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3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
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4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
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1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1 cup fresh basil leaves, divided
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1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
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2 cups orzo
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3 1/4 cups vegetable broth or water
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5 ounces whole fresh mozzarella pearls or mini mozzarella balls, halved (about 3/4 cup)
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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Balsamic vinegar, for serving, optional
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Sauté the garlic and tomatoes:
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, about half of the cherry tomatoes, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 3 minutes. Add half of the fresh basil and all of the chili flakes, if using, and cook until the basil is wilted, about 30 seconds.
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Cook the orzo:
Add the orzo and broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes.
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Finish and serve:
Remove the pot from the heat and season the orzo to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining basil and tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella. Serve immediately with a drizzle of fresh olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if desired.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently to keep the mozzarella intact, or enjoy cold.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 384 | Calories |
| 19g | Fat |
| 38g | Carbs |
| 15g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 384 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 19g | 24% |
| Saturated Fat 6g | 31% |
| 28mg | 9% |
| 1087mg | 47% |
| 38g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 9% |
| Total Sugars 5g | |
| 15g | |
| Vitamin C 13mg | 65% |
| Calcium 218mg | 17% |
| Iron 2mg | 12% |
| Potassium 364mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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