We love Rigatoni Caprese with Pine Nuts & Salsa and this deliciously simple, chef-curated recipe doesn't disappoint. Time to bust out the pots and pans!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
125
Baby Plum Tomatoes
30
Olives
1
Echalion Shallot
200
Rigatoni Pasta
90
British Smoked Bacon Lardons
1
Chives
15
Honey
1
Finely Chopped Tomatoes
30
Tomato Puree
1
Garlic Clove
1
Mozzarella
(Contains Milk)
12
Balsamic Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
15
Pine Nuts
1
Flat Leaf Parsley
1
Vegetable Stock Powder
1
Olive Oil for the Dressing
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1/2 tsp salt for the pasta. Halve, peel and thinly slice the shallot. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Roughly chop the olives. Halve the baby plum tomatoes and roughly chop the parsley (stalks and all). Place the tomatoes and parsley in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
Add the pasta to your boiling water and boil for 12 mins. Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander, pop back in the pan, drizzle with oil and stir through to stop it sticking together.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on medium heat and add the pine nuts (no oil!). Toast them until golden, 2-3 mins, tossing regularly. When golden, transfer them from your pan to a bowl. Tip: Watch the nuts like a hawk to make sure they don't burn!
Once the pine nuts are removed from your pan, put it back on medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Add the shallot and bacon to your pan, stir and cook until softened and the bacon is crispy, 4-5 mins. Add the garlic and tomato puree, stir and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the finely chopped tomatoes, olives and stock powder and stir to dissolve. Add a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, 10 mins.
While your sauce cooks, finely chop the chives. Drain the mozzarella and pull it apart into small pieces. Stir the balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil (see ingredients for amount) into the bowl of tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When your sauce is cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the drained pasta and toss together. Stir through half the chives and half the mozzarella then share into bowls. Spoon your tomato salsa on top along with the remaining mozzarella, remaining chives and a sprinkle of pine nuts. Enjoy!
Mod Step 4: If you've decided to add bacon to your meal, add it to the pan when you add the shallot and cook until the shallot has softened and the bacon is crispy, 4-5 mins. Add the garlic and tomato puree and continue with the step and the recipe.