Caprese Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bow tie pasta (farfalle)

• 1 whole bulb fresh garlic

• ½ cup The Lunatic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Basil Infused Picual Gourmet

• 5 large basil leaves, chopped

• 1 box ripe cherry tomatoes

• 1 pound bocconcini (bite-size fresh mozzarella balls; you can substitute ciliegine [cherry size] or perlini [pearl size] if you can’t find bocconcini)

• 1 small red onion, minced

• 1 large red or green bell pepper, diced (optional; if you like heat, you can mince a jalapeño chile (remove seeds and white ribs)

• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Instructions:

• Cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the box (9 to 11 minutes). The pasta should be al dente, not overcooked.

• Clean and slice garlic.

• Place the olive oil in a small saucepan, add sliced garlic and slowly heat until garlic is tender and golden. Do this at a low temperature and be patient—you don’t want the garlic to burn.

• Put warm pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add heated oil and garlic and toss.

• Rinse tomatoes and cut in half. Add to pasta.

• Add the chopped basil leaves to pasta along with optional onion and bell pepper.

• Add bocconcini. If you can not find bocconcini, you can add the smaller perlini; or you can cut a whole mozzarella into cubes.

• Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.