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Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts
I love Insalata Caprese; a simple and classic Italian salad of fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. This salad is a take on that classic with the addition of pasta, avocado, a balsamic vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts. You could make this salad year round; but to really enjoy and love it as I do? Wait until summer when you can use amazing tomatoes, good avocados and fresh basil. I’ve grown my own tomatoes for years but with my youngest just (finally!) moving into her own apartment recently, I think my days of planting and watering a large garden of veggies is over. But that doesn’t mean I won’t have a bounty of herbs. I love that so many herbs are perennials and my garden is filled with thyme, tarragon, chives, parsley, sage and mint. All that I plant each year now are basil, rosemary (a perennial in some areas) and cilantro. Still, by this time of year, great tomatoes are easy to find at farmer’s markets and well, I do have a HUGE pot of basil right outside my back door; a perfect time for what I think is the perfect Caprese pasta salad! I recently served this pasta salad for an annual Girls Nite In that I host; when several girlfriends that I have known for years come together in my backyard for some good food, great wine and yes, really lively conversation! How to know it was a hit? It disappeared faster than the dessert! Avocado, Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Pasta Salad with Pine Nuts Ingredients Salad 1 lb pasta bows (yes, you could substitute, but so pretty and just perfect for this dish!) 6 ripe tomatoes, sliced thin 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin rounds 2 medium, ripe avocados, halved and sliced lengthwise 3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted 1 sprig fresh basil for garnish Salt and Pepper Dressing 9 Tbsp olive oil 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tsp wine vinegar 1 1/2 tsp whole grain mustard pinch of sugar salt and pepper 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil Preparation Cook pasta according to package directions. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in small bowl, mix enough with pasta to thoroughly moisten; salt and pepper to taste. Fill serving bowl with pasta and dressing and then arrange the tomato, mozzarella and avocado in overlapping slices around the edge. Drizzle remaining dressing over pasta and vegetables. Place basil leaves in center for garnish. Sprinkle with pine nuts  I must be a glutton for, not punishment, but certainly for embarrassing myself as I’ve been posting old images I took in the past for some of my dishes I’m now including on this blog. This image of my favorite pasta is telling; it was the very last shot my old Canon point and shoot camera delivered. You can see there was a problem…and then it died. I needed that motivation to get a new camera and though I still have a LOT to learn, I enjoy seeing the difference between the two versions!related searches : Avocado
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