15-Minute Bruschetta Pasta with Balsamic Glaze

This 15-minute Bruschetta Pasta with Balsamic Glaze tastes amazing and can be on your dinner table in 15 minutes. It has become one of our go-to recipes and house favorites, my 6-year-old son asks for it all the time. He calls me the “bestest chef ever” when I make it. Little does he know that it takes about 15 minutes to put this super easy pasta dish together. It’s light and fresh, and best of all, it tastes phenomenal both hot off the stove and cold as a salad straight out of the fridge.

This is something we’ve developed from a recipe we’re sure you’ve made before, “spaghetti aglio e olio“, which is basically garlic +onion + olive oil+chilli flakes. As we developed the recipe, we added more and more ingredients that compliment those foundational flavors. Cherry tomatoes for freshness and texture, basil for herbaceousness, a balsamic glaze for sweetness and balance, parmesan cheese for its salty sharpness, and, finally, fresh mozzarella for its decadence. This is the kind of pasta you close your eyes while eating as the flavors come together in your mouth! Hurry up and make it!

Things to keep in mind:

1. When shopping for produce always look for the freshest you can get your hands on. With the cherry tomatoes make sure to look for tomatoes that are firm to the touch. This will help them keep a nice bite after they are cooked.
2. You can either buy a balsamic glaze at most supermarkets or make your own. It takes about 15 minutes, is super easy to make, and lasts for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
3. While you make the balsamic glaze make sure your stove exhaust is on to suck up the strong vinegar fumes.
4. Make sure when you cook the pasta that it’s el dente. Check the package instructions for the exact cooking time.

The Balsamic Glaze :

Balsamic glaze is a great condiment to have stocked in your fridge. It lasts for quite a while, and it brings an intense burst of flavor to any dish. PLUS YOU ONLY NEED TWO INGREDIENTS TO MAKE IT. Try using it on salad, fish, bruschetta, chicken, or meat. You can even try it on some vanilla ice cream if you’re brave enough. You’ll be surprised about how well this mimics a heightened caramel.

All your need to make it is some balsamic vinegar and some brown sugar or honey. If you really wanted to, you could actually make it without the sugar or honey and the balsamic vinegar would thicken up just fine. However, we prefer to add sugar. We find that the added sweetness balances out the acidity of the balsamic vinegar and gives it a more rounded flavor.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

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To Make the Balsamic Glaze:

To make the balsamic glaze, place 2 cups of balsamic vinegar + brown sugar into a small nonreactive saucepan*. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat down to a simmer and continue to cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce down to about 1 cup. You can tell it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely before using. Keep in mind that it will additionally thicken up as it cools. Store in a small container in your fridge for 3 weeks to a month.

*A nonreactive saucepan is used in this recipe because the vinegar is acidic and we don’t want it to react with your pan which can both damage  your pan as well as transfer a metallic taste to your food. Nonreactive saucepans are things like stainless steel or enameled cast iron. Reactive pans are ones you don’t want to use when cooking acidic foods like balsamic vinegar. These are usually things like aluminum and non enameled cast iron.

Let’s Make The Pasta :

This Bruschetta Pasta comes together so fast that you’ll be done in however much times it takes you to boil your pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in your pasta and follow the cooking instructions on the package. We want to cook this to the al dente firmness, ours took about 6 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, in a medium-size pan, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil. When the oil looks shimmery, toss in your onions and garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or two. We are not trying to brown them at all here. Take the pan off the heat, toss in your cherry tomatoes, and stir them in. We don’t want them to cook on the stove because they will become too soft, we are just trying to warm them through here.

When your pasta is done, drain it in a colander (do not rinse). Add it to the pan with the cherry tomatoes, toss in your parmesan cheese, and basil. Mix well until everything is incorporated.

Now, let’s bring all the elements together. Prepare your serving bowls and divide the pasta equally. Add a piece of fresh mozzarella into each bowl, top the mozzarella with a touch of olive oil, add some chili flakes (optional), and then drizzle the whole bowl with some balsamic glaze. That’s it, you’re done. It literally comes together in 15 minutes from start to finish.

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Make It A Salad:

This Bruschetta Pasta is versatile in the sense that you can have it hot off the stove, but it’s also great as a salad straight from the fridge. Place it in your fridge in a container with a lid. When you’re ready to eat, toss it really well bringing some of the olive oil at the bottom of the container through the pasta. If you feel there’s not enough olive oil, add a bit more onto your salad and toss.

If you try this Bruschetta Pasta with Balsamic Glaze, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #thetablediaries on Instagram. We love seeing all the recipes you and your family enjoy.