Why You’ll Love This
This Caprese pasta salad is made easy with small pasta, pearl mozzarella balls, fresh grape tomatoes, and flavorful basil pesto. Pasta salads make great sides but add in some grilled chicken or shrimp and you have a full meal. This pesto pasta salad is also great to take to barbecues, potlucks, and family gatherings! It’s great to serve a crowd or you can cut the recipe in half for serving your family. Caprese salad is a basic salad made with tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar. So why not add some pasta to make it even better?
Ingredients
Short pasta – Any short pasta will work. You can use farfalle, orichette, penne, or elbow pasta.Mozzarella Pearls – Also known as Bocconcini or Ciliegine. You can also cut a larger piece of fresh mozzarella into tiny bite-size pieces.Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.Fresh basilPrepared pesto – Homemade is great, but we use jarred pesto to keep this simple and easy.Extra-virgin olive oilBalsamic vinegar – This will turn the pasta dark, if you don’t like that use white balsamic vinegar.Garlic, salt, and pepper.
Tips and Variations
Season the pasta water well. You want to season your pasta. The water should taste like saltwater.For the best texture in this pasta Caprese salad cook the pasta al dente.Add some freshly grated parmesan cheese.Toss in some cooked chicken to bump up the protein.Add some pine nuts for a little nutty flavor.Make it a gluten-free pasta salad by using your favorite gluten free pasta.
How to Make Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad
Bring water to a boil in a large pot, and salt the water generously. Cook the pasta according to the instructions for al dente. Drain and lightly rinse in cold water. Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl and set it aside to cool. While the pasta is cooling slice the tomatoes in half. Drain the pearl mozzarella if necessary. Once the pasta is cooled add the mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and the thinly sliced fresh basil. In a measuring cup add the pesto, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss gently to coat. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Serve immediately. This Caprese pasta salad with pesto can be served at room temperature or cold. Serve as a side dish or serve as a meal along with some bread and maybe a tossed green salad.
More Salad Recipes
Greek Pasta SaladMacaroni SaladCucumber Radish SaladLemon Veggie Pasta SaladShrimp Salad
Recipe adapted from foodiecrush
