A delicious pasta dish is a winner any day, but sometimes when the weather is hot, a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs is a little heavy (although delicious). For this situation, this fruit and veggie pasta is the perfect solution. And huge bonus – this whole meal can be made start to finish in under 20 minutes.
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. It’s slightly unusual, the flavor combo is out of this world, and the dish looks super impressive when all you really did was throw some ingredients into a bowl and mix them together. You don’t even have to cook the sauce for this pasta dish. Talk about a memorable meal with minimal effort!
I came across this recipe several years ago and altered it slightly. I love it more each time I make it. When my brother in law and sister in law were visiting from California last year, I made this dish for them. My brother in law said, “Wow, I would have never thought to put peaches in pasta, but it’s really good!” And he’s right. It’s really freaking good.
Make sure to grab all of the ingredients on your next run to the grocery store, and get ready to have a new favorite pasta dish!
- 8 oz rotini (or other short pasta)
- 3 Tbs olive oil
- Garlic (1 Tbs or 2 cloves, chopped)
- 3 Tbs drained capers
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 16 oz fresh tomatoes)
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 peaches or nectarines, chopped
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
- 5-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- Package of arugula (or 50/50 arugula/baby spinach)
- 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Make sure to salt the water.
- In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, garlic, capers, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Dice up peaches and mozzarella cheese, chop basil.
- Add slightly cooled pasta to the bowl. Add in peaches, cheese, basil, and pepitas and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add in arugula, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Toss together.
- To serve, place about a cup of the greens in the bottom of a bowl. Spoon pasta on top and enjoy!
