This one is a stress free, delicious, and comforting pasta recipe for you to try! The Pure-Flavor® Tomatoes On-the-Vine used in this recipe are proudly Georgia Grown in their high-tech greenhouse located in Fort Valley, Georgia. These are award-winning Tomatoes On-the-Vine which infuse each meal with an unmistakably fresh flavor. Gentle fragrance mingles with juicy sweetness to create a perfectly balanced experience. There is no need to use canned tomatoes when you can have super fresh ones. Give it a try!

Servings: 3-4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 60

Total Time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz.) of Rigatoni Pasta

8 oz. of fresh Mozzarella Cheese

1 tablespoon of salt for pasta water

Sauce Ingredients:

5 Pure-Flavor® Tomatoes On-the-Vine chopped

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

3-4 cloves of minced garlic

1/3 cup of chopped shallots

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano (you can substitute with dried oregano)

1 teaspoon of chopped fresh basil (you can substitute dried basil)

2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of white granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Salad Ingredients:

1 Pure-Flavor® Tomatoes On-the-Vine  sliced and then cut in half.

½ teaspoon of black pepper

7-10 fresh basil leaves

7- 10 fresh oregano leaves

1 clove of minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions:

1-Add olive oil, chopped shallots, and minced garlic into a large sauce pan and cook about 1-2 minutes over medium high temperature until they are softened. 

2- Add the rest of the sauce ingredients into sauce pan and cook about 12-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

3-Meanwhile bring 4-6 quarts of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta to boiling water.

4-Cook the pasta about 8-10 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain and cool the pasta. 

5-Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

8-Add half of the sauce into a 9×13 baking sheet or you can use ½ inch cast iron skillet like I did.

9-Place the pasta over the tomato sauce and add the rest of the sauce and the fresh mozzarella cheese on top.

11- Bake covered 20 minutes and then uncovered 10 minutes.

12-Meanwhile prepare the salad. In a medium sized bowl add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix them about 2-3 minutes until combined.

13- Place the sliced Pure-Flavor® Tomatoes On-the-Vine,  basil, and oregano leaves on a platter and drizzle with the salad dressing you just made.

14- Remove the pasta from the oven and let sit for about 5-7 minutes. Serve topped with tomato salad.

Happy Eating!