School is almost back in session, which means we need as many easy weeknight meal ideas as we can get! You can always use another easy pasta recipe in your arsenal. This easy caprese pasta with crispy prosciutto is definitely a crowd pleaser and comes together in 30 minutes!
With both of us working 8-5 jobs, we have to be organized and plan our meals ahead if we want to avoid eating out. It is SO easy after a long workday to feel overwhelmed by trying to come up with a meal idea and end up going out. We started planning our meals about 5 years ago and have been doing it ever since.
Every weekend, we take stock of what we have in the freezer, what veggies we got in our CSA box, and come up with a menu for the week. We usually plan to make at least 5 meals at home. We usually also plan to prep some items for lunches/breakfasts for the week. Our grocery list is made according to the meal plan, and we buy only what we need. This method saves us a ton of money from avoiding eating out, avoids being wasteful buy only buying what we need, and helps us stay healthy! We cannot recommend it enough.
Despite having a plan in place and ingredients on hand, it can be daunting trying to prepare an entire meal from scratch every night, especially when we get home later than anticipated. This is where recipes like this caprese pasta with crispy prosciutto are so handy! It features simple ingredients that require little to no chopping or prepping. The prosciutto crisps while the pasta is cooking so everything is done about the same time. And bonus, it tastes amazing. Let’s face it, you can never go wrong with the classic tomato, basil, and mozzarella combination!
You can absolutely opt to leave off the prosciutto for a vegetarian meal option, but we love the little bit of texture this adds to the dish. We finish ours off with some grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of good quality Balsamic. Pair with a glass of red wine and enjoy. Buon Appetito!
Here are a few easy 30 minute meals if you want to plan ahead like us!
Easy Chicken Sausage Weeknight Pasta
Grilled Pork Chops with Peach Salsa
Easy Caprese Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Cherry Tomatoes
- 12 Ounces Dried Pasta We prefer shells, rotini, or rigatoni
- 4 Cloves Garlic Thinly Sliced
- 1 Cup Arugula Roughly Chopped
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Roughly Chopped
- 3 Tbsp Salted Butter
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 8 Slices Prosciutto
- 8 Ounces Fresh Mozzarella We used small mozzarella balls
- Parmesan Cheese For Topping
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt For pasta water, plus extra to taste.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to broil. Lay out the cherry tomatoes on a foil covered sheet pan, drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Blister in the oven for about 10 minutes. Then set aside.
- While the tomatoes are blistering, go ahead and cook your pasta according to package instructions. Be sure to salt the water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- In the empty pot, add the butter and remaining oil over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and fry until crispy and brown. Remove garlic and set aside. Turn heat down to low.
- While the garlic is frying, lay the prosciutto out on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes at 300F. Remove and set aside.
- In the garlic infused oil, add the pasta back in along with the tomatoes, arugula and basil. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt to taste.
- Remove the pasta from the heat, fold in the mozzarella. Plate and top with crispy prosciutto, fried garlic, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.