Our delicious Caprese Pasta Salad is the perfect summer side dish recipe that is sure to please a crowd! Made with all the traditional caprese ingredients, like fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, chopped basil, and a drizzle of that balsamic glaze. A family friendly recipe that would make a great addition to your next potluck or backyard cookout!
The Best Caprese Pasta Salad
If you are looking for a fun, new spin on a classic pasta salad recipe, this is it! We have loved the fresh flavors and fresh ingredients of a caprese salad recipe for years and knew we needed to develop a pasta salad version. A great salad that is the perfect combination of light and bright flavors with your favorite variety of pasta for an easy side dish that we will be serving during this warm weather season! The whole family will love it again and again!
Looking for another delicious pasta salad? Check out our Balsamic Pasta Salad!
What You Will Need
- olive oil – the perfect base for any homemade dressing recipe.
- balsamic vinegar – a mild vinegar that has that slight tanginess we know and love in any caprese recipe.
- fresh garlic – everything is always better with a little bit of garlic in the mix!
- salt & pepper – simple seasonings that add flavor to the caprese pasta salad dressing.
- pasta noodles – any variety of your favorite pasta will work – gluten-free, bow tie, rotini pasta, etc.
- fresh mozzarella balls – there is simply nothing better than fresh mozzarella cheese!
- grape tomatoes – love this fresh ingredient in a pasta salad.
- fresh basil leaves – a fresh herb that really lightens and brightens all the best flavors.
- balsamic glaze – it is a must! The balsamic vinaigrette is the perfect dressing, but you have to include a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze on top!
How To Make Caprese Pasta Salad
The first steps to making this simple recipe are to gather all of the caprese pasta salad ingredients.
Place all of the balsamic dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook pasta to al dente according to the package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
Place the room temperature pasta in a large bowl along with the juicy tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
Pour the homemade dressing over the top and toss it all together.
Drizzle some balsamic glaze on top and serve!
Best Ways To Serve Caprese Pasta Salad
We love serving this pasta salad recipe as-written in the recipe card below, but feel free to adjust any of the ingredients to your own personal preferences. If you like a little kick of heat, you can also add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. This summer side dish would be great with some grilled chicken thighs, a smoked beer can chicken, or grilled pork tenderloin!
Recipe FAQ
Any variety of caprese salad is traditional made with some combination of sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, and that best sweet balsamic glaze!
Simple place it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Keep some balsamic glaze on hand to drizzle on top when serving the next day.
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Caprese Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
A light and delicious Caprese Pasta Salad recipe that is the perfect addition to any cookout or get-together!
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta Salad:
- 1 box bowtie pasta
- 8oz mini mozzarella balls
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- fresh basil, chopped
- balsamic glaze
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Dressing: Combine Dressing ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to combine.
- Cook Pasta: Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water.
- Combine: Place rinsed/cooled pasta in a large bowl along with the mini mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. Drizzle dressing over everything and toss to combine (the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing as it sits). Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste (I added a little sprinkling, but everyone is different).
- Balsamic Glaze: Drizzle the balsamic glaze all over the top and serve!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: use gluten-free noodles to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Ingredient Amounts: this is a super flexible recipe so feel free to add more/less of the ingredients depending upon your liking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 325.5 mg
- Fat: 5.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.5 g
- Protein: 8.3 g
- Cholesterol: 1.7 mg
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