Caprese Pasta Salad is an easy make ahead caprese pasta salad recipe with pasta tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
This cold tomato and mozzarella pasta is the perfect picnic or potluck recipe and is also delicious served with chicken, fish, shrimp and more!
Caprese pasta salad recipe
Caprese salad is typically a delicious fresh mixture of fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese. This caprese pasta salad recipe combines those caprese salad flavors with pasta and a light dressing for an easy, make ahead cold pasta salad recipe.
There are many different options for caprese salad dressings. You can choose an Italian dressing or pesto for caprese. Or make pasta salad with balsamic vinaigrette like this recipe with a homemade balsamic dressing.
Ingredients
- Pasta – use rotini, fusilli, tortellini, capellini, orzo, rigatoni or other pasta. You can make spaghetti caprese, penne caprese, and even tortellini or ravioli can be used.
- Basil – fresh basil sliced into ribbons.
- Fresh mozzarella– mozzarella balls, mozzarella pearls, burrata, bocconcini or any mozzarella cheese you can find.
- Tomatoes – the best tomatoes for caprese like this is cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes because they are bite sized. But you can also cut regular tomatoes in bite sized pieces or even use sun dried tomatoes if you’d like!
- Parmesan – finely grated parmesan cheese if available.
- Olives – or simply leave them out if you’d rather make pasta salad without olives.
- Balsamic vinaigrette – a homemade balsamic vinaigrette made with garlic, dijon mustard, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Step by step instructions
- Cook pasta and prepare balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing then toss them together and refrigerate to chill.
- Toss cooled and dressed pasta with mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, parmesan and basil.
- Serve and enjoy!
Yield
This pasta salad recipe serves between 6-8 people depending on if you serve it as a vegetarian pasta main or as a smaller side.
What to serve with
Serve caprese pasta salad tossed with chicken and spinach or arugula to make it a complete meal in one. Or add shrimp, salami or prosciutto to add a little more protein to this pasta salad recipe.
Or serve as a side dish for chicken, fish, shrimp, steak, and burgers. Caprese pasta goes with so many dishes from baked dishes, barbeque, soups, sandwiches, wraps and more!
You can even serve this recipe with Caprese Steamed Clams and Caprese Grilled Cheese and have a whole meals of caprese recipes!
Make ahead
Make ahead caprese pasta salad is perfect for serving to a crowd at large gatherings or for taking along to outdoor adventures like camping trips or picnics.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella bocconcini
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes grape tomatoes or other tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 16 ounces black olives drained
- ½ cup fresh basil loosely packed and cut into ribbons
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
balsamic vinaigrette
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil sliced
Instructions
- Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions. Drain but do not rinse then place in large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, prepare balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and toss with drained but not rinsed pasta.
- Refrigerate pasta mixture until completely cooled, about 30 minutes or longer.
- While pasta cools prepare other ingredients. Drain mozzarella and discard brine. If mozzarella balls are large, cut in halves or quarters to make roughly bite sized pieces. Similarly cut tomatoes in bite sized pieces.
- Toss cooled and dressed pasta with mozzarella, tomatoes, olives, parmesan and basil.
balsamic vinaigrette
- Combine chopped garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, salt, dijon mustard and basil in a medium bowl. Stir in balsamic vinegar and slowly pour olive oil while whisking the mixture. Balsamic vinaigrette will be slightly thick and emulsified after the olive oil is properly combined with the mustard/balsamic mixture.
Nutrition
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