Caprese Pasta (Gluten-Free, Lactose-Free)

Gluten-Free pasta and zucchini noodles coated in lactose-free garlic-mozzarella sauce and topped with fresh tomatoes and basil highlight the best the season has to offer.

I created this recipe for my client, GO VEGGIE. Thank you for supporting that brands that keep me inspired in the kitchen. 

I wasn’t joking when I wrote that I’ve been completely obsessed with tomatoes lately. I think 3 of the last 4 things I’ve cooked have featured them prominently. I love that you can find beautiful local and heirloom tomatoes at almost any neighborhood grocery store this time of year! Besides Greek-inspired tomato and cucumber salads, I’ve practically been living off of caprese salad. It really doesn’t get much better than ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and fresh basil – especially when you can use GO VEGGIE’s lactose-free mozzarella.

I could probably make a whole meal out of caprese salad, but serving it over a tangle of gluten-free pasta and zucchini noodles really take it to the next level. That’s what I call a meal!

I read a caprese salad recipe the other day that called for salting the tomatoes and letting them sit for a few minutes to draw out the moisture. I’d never tried that before, but it really makes a huge difference in the texture of the tomatoes! For this caprese pasta recipe, I lightly salted the tomatoes and let them sit while the pasta cooked.

To cut carbs and add nutrients, I used half gluten-free pasta and half zucchini noodles. If you place the zucchini noodles in the bottom of your colander before you strain your pasta, the residual heat will cook them the perfect amount. I used the angel hair setting on my spiralizer, but thicker, store-bought zucchini noodles also work perfectly fine.

When I was dreaming up this recipe, the biggest thing I kept going back and forth on was if I should use the cheese to make a creamy sauce or if I should keep it cold and mix it into the tomato topping. GO VEGGIE melts so beautifully that keeping it all cold seemed like a shame, so I decided to do both. More is more, right? I ended up with a creamy, garlic-cheese situation that lightly clings to each strand of pasta. It was definitely the right call.

I really love GO VEGGIE’s shredded lactose-free cheeses, but they’ve been more difficult to find lately. Here’s a link to their store locator so you can find your favorite variety at a store near you!

Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound gluten-free thin spaghetti
• 1 medium zucchini
• 2-3 large, ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour
• 1-1/4 cup GO VEGGIE lactose-free mozzarella shreds, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Follow the directions on the pasta box for al dente pasta. 

Meanwhile, use the thinnest setting of your spiralizer to spiralize the zucchini. Place the zucchini in your colander. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. 

Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Pout the rest, along with the pasta, into the colander with the zucchini. 

Return the pot to the stove and set to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant but not brown. Stir in the flour to form a thick paste. Whisk in half of the reserved pasta water. Slowly sprinkle in 1 cup of the mozzarella, allowing it to melt completely. If needed, add the remaining pasta water to thin the cheese to a sauce-like consistency. 

Return the pasta and zucchini the to pot and stir to coat with the cheese sauce. Top with the tomatoes, basil, and remaining cheese. Season to taste with cracked black pepper.