Caprese Salad Pasta My Way

Summertime here in Florida is hot, humid, and very intolerable at times.  You need a dish that is cool, fresh, simple, and delectable.  Caprese salad has a hearty, down to earth, and packed with flavor from a few simple ingredients.  There are many different ways to make this dish, however my way is simple and the results are extraordinarily satisfying.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Take 5 large cloves of garlic and place them on a piece of foil.  Peel, cut the root ends off, then drizzle EVOO, and wrap the foil around the garlic.  Roast for 25 minutes, remove, and finely chop.  Cook up some farfalle or other pasta of your liking.  No pasta at all is a good option as well.  Take 1/2 a pound of fresh grape tomatoes, rinse them off well, and then slice them in half.  Thinly slice, chiffonade, 1/2 cup fresh basil and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes.  Finely chop 1 heaping teaspoon of fresh oregano and thyme and add it on top.  Dice up some fresh mozzarella, add it to  the mix,  add the roasted garlic, and then your pasta if desired.  Mix well and drizzle some good EVOO into the dish, making sure enough oil is used to coat all the ingredients.  Just do a little at a time and use just enough oil to moisten the delicious garden in your mixing bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste and add a few squeezes of lemon to enhance the flavors even more.  I like a bit of spice in my caprese so I add minced red jalapeno to my serving!  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.  Food does not have to be difficult, expensive, or fancy to taste amazing.