This Bruschetta Pasta is everything you love about bruschetta, bursting with a no-cooking-required fresh tomato sauce and tossed with pasta. It’s an easy and flavorful weeknight dinner that’s ready in 25 minutes.
Let’s talk about pasta.
In particular, this bruschetta pasta. I know that this pasta dish is delicious because my husband not only eats it – he gets seconds and he loves it. The reason why this is telling is because he does not like pasta. He eats it if I put it in front of him, but he never goes out of his way to eat it.
I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and have made it many, many times since. It takes no time at all to make and is fresh tasting and flavorful. A keeper. It is also perfect for Meat Free Monday.
What is Bruschetta?
Traditional bruschetta is simply toasted bread that has been drizzled with olive oil and then rubbed with a garlic clove.
Believe it or not, but the bruschetta we know and love here in the U.S. is actually a version in Italy known as bruschetta al pomodoro.
The extra finesse with tomatoes and basil is the type of bruschetta pasta recipe I am making today!
What Makes This Bruschetta Pasta Recipe So Good?
Even though my husband is not a fan of pasta, this is an easy pasta recipe I make on the regular because:
- Fresh tomatoes and olive oil create a luxurious, fresh, no-cooking-required sauce.
- It is delicious served warm or cold.
- I like to consider it the ultimate weeknight meal ready in less than 30 minutes!
Variations
While I love the simplicity of this pasta recipe with bruschetta sauce, you can add or change an ingredient or two to make it your own. Try:
- Chicken or Shrimp: Add sliced grilled chicken or a few freshly sauteed shrimp.
- Long Grain Pasta: While I love fun shapes and sizes, spaghetti, linguine or angel hair would be wonderful.
- Olives: Add a few sliced black or purple olives. This is a great substitute if you are not particularly fond of capers.
Serving Suggestions
I love to toss this together on the weeknights when I am short on time or just want to throw something together fast for my family. It’s always a winner.
But it’s also really good as a cold pasta salad, which means I can meal prep it at the beginning of the week or bring it to picnics, potlucks or BBQs.
Top Tips for Pasta with Bruschetta Sauce:
- Use the brightest, juiciest tomatoes. This is a bruschetta sauce, after all, so you really want the best tomatoes you can find. I always find bright red cherry tomatoes in the store any time of year, but this is a dish where summer tomatoes really shine.
- Marinate the sauce for 30 minutes or as long as it takes the water to boil. The 30-minute mark is ideal as it helps the ingredients marry together, but the amount of time it takes your pot to boil works just fine.
- Remember to save some of the pasta water. Scoop out ¼ – ½ cup pasta cooking water just before it’s al dente. This helps create a smooth, emulsified sauce at the very end.
- Reserve a few fresh herbs for garnish. The basil and parsley add that final pop of color and flavor.
I hope that you like this as much as we do.
Easy Bruschetta Pasta
Ingredients Â
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 1 clove minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cubed or bocconcini
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 box orecchiette or any other tube pasta you have
- 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid
- 1/3 cup roasted pine nuts
- Parmesan cheese
InstructionsÂ
- Begin to make the raw sauce. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, capers, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the star ingredients. Add the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Toss! Let this marinate for 30 minutes, if possible. I do this if I have time. If I don't, I do this while the water is boiling for the pasta.
- Add herbs. Toss in the basil and parsley. I reserve a little for adding at the very end.
- Boil pasta. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente according to the package directions.
- Reserve pasta water. Make sure to reserve at least 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Toss the pasta with the tomato sauce. Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water. Toss well. Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed.
- Finish and serve. Sprinkle the reserved herbs on the top. Add the pine nuts and some Parmesan cheese.
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