I Now Pronounce You Doctor and Wife...: Caprese Pasta

Spring is FINALLY here! YAY!!!!! To celebrate, I'm making Caprese Pasta! :)

Many of y'all out there have had a Caprese (cuh-pray-say) Salad before (you know, the fresh tomato with the fresh mozzarella and basil leaves--- sprinkled with salt and olive oil and maybe even a teensy bit of Balsamic?)

Well-- when you have a beautiful bounty of tomatoes and basil, you should definitely grab a ball of fresh mozzarella and either (1) eat that amazing salad OR (2) throw the ingredients together to make a really delicious pasta dish. :)

Caprese Pasta
--serves as many as you want; I usually proportion 1 pint tomatoes per 2 people and 8 oz. mozzarella can go for 3-4 people; one, 1-lb. box of pasta is good for 4 people.

STEP 1: Gather Ingredients.

In *my* very tiny opinion, you need 1 Pint of tomatoes PER 2 people. Cause they're full of lycopene and Vitamins A, C, and E --AND other good-for-you-stuff. :) My preference for this dish are *cherry* tomatoes but by all means you can use grape-sized-- OR frankly, whatever size you want. I think the larger tomatoes really change the dynamic of this dish so I never use them. But, as the Italians would say= fai come ti pare. ("Do what you want"). :)
If I'm feeling piggish, I can split one 8-ounce ball of Mozzarella per 2 people, but sometimes I feel like it's a little much. One, 8-oz. ball of mozzarella can easily stretch for 3-4 people. If you wanna spend a little extra cash, purchase the Ciliegine-sized mozzarella balls (Ciliegine = relates to the Italian word for "cherry"); their small size cuts out a step of chopping up your mozzarella ball.
You need olive oil, a few cloves of garlic, salt, and pepper.
Choose your favorite 1 lb. box of pasta. (Shown in the pictures was penne rigate).
You will also need a small stem of fresh basil leaves.

STEP 2: Cook!

Gosh, this dish is SO EASY and SUPER-FAST to make.

1) Get a pot of water to a rolling boil; salt it till it tastes like the ocean, :), and put in your pasta. Be sure to take out your pasta when it still has a bite/is chewy and perfectly done (aka "al dente"/to the tooth). :)

2) While your pasta is cooking--- chop all your cherry tomatoes in half. If you have a large ball of mozzarella, you will also cut that up.

3) Still while your pasta is cooking, get a skillet; add olive oil and tomatoes. Then add garlic, salt, and pepper. (not too much salt though, because your pasta should be deliciously salty.) :)

*When your pasta is almost done, chop your basil with a very sharp knife. I usually do mine in a chiffonade--- aka take your leaves; make a stack; roll them like a cigar-shape; then chop the little basil roll into little ribbons. :)