Ingredients:
1 lb. linguine pasta
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 Cup prepared pesto
8 oz. fresh whole mozzarella, sliced into small squares
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. basil
salt, pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired
Directions:
Cook the linguine until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta liquid before draining the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, in a 12 inch skillet, heat the oil on medium-high temperature.
Add the garlic, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, basil, salt & pepper. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes soften. Remove pan from the heat and set aside.
Add the cooked linguine, pesto and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Stir to form a sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary to make a thin sauce to coat the pasta.
To the pan, add the mozzarella; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serve from the pan or transfer to a large pasta bowl and devour!
