prep: 20 minutes
cook: 11–15 minutes
cool: eat right away

INGREDIENTS 

+1 lb cavatappi pasta (corkscrew pasta)
+7-8 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
+16-24 oz fresh Mozzarella (pearl shaped, or chopped)
+12-15 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
+2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
+14 tablespoons olive oil (divided in half)
+salt and pepper to taste
+grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (for topping)


+1 8 inch cast iron skillet

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring water to boil in a 5 quart pot.
2. Place all tomatoes in mixing bowl with half basil, half garlic, half olive oil and fold gently with mixing spoon coating all the tomatoes with olive oil.
3. Place all mozzarella in a separate mixing bowl with the other half of basil, half garlic, half olive oil, & salt and pepper and gently fold coating all the mozzarella with olive oil.
4. Set both bowls aside.
4. Once water has boiled, cook pasta til al dente.
5. While pasta is cooking, put your cast iron skillet on stove top or grill on high, to heat up.
6. Drain pasta, and place in large serving/mixing bowl.
7. Once your skillet is steaming, salt tomatoes and then take tomatoes and place in heated skillet to flash bowl for 30-45 seconds.
8. Pour cooked tomatoes over pasta and fold together
9. Add mozzarella mixture to pasta-tomatoe mixture, and fold together
10. Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano and eat right away!

NOTES
-You may make the tomato and mozzarella mixtures ahead of time and save until ready to cook
-if you are making mixtures ahead of time, make sure to refrigerate your mozzarella until ready
-dont salt your tomatoes until right before you cook them, otherwise your tomatoes will become squishy
-if your stove doesn’t heat your skillet, try using your grill