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Caprese Pasta Salad takes sweet juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil and pairs them with pasta and a 3-ingredient balsamic vinaigrette for the ultimate summer pasta salad!
Love pasta salads? Try my Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad next!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Ready in Less Than 20 Minutes – Caprese Pasta Salad is so easy to make and it’s perfect for a last minute potluck side.
- Perfect Summer Dish – Use up some fresh garden tomatoes and basil for a pasta salad that just screams summer!
- Only 7 Ingredients – If you are heading to the grocery store, you probably only need a handful of things like tomatoes, basil, and cheese. The other ingredients are staples that you likely already have on hand.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
Ingredient Notes
- Mozzarella – Fresh mozzarella cheese (the kind packed in water) is my pick, but you can use any mozzarella you have on hand. If you can find pearls or ciliegine they will already be the perfect bite size for this pasta salad.
- Basil – Fresh basil is a must for this recipe!
- Tomatoes – I love cherry or grape tomatoes for this, but kumato, vine ripened, or heirloom tomatoes would all be fantastic options.
How To Make Caprese Pasta Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
- Cook the pasta, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Slice tomatoes and dice the mozzarella.
- Make the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking the dressing ingredients together until well combined.
- Combine pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Use Fresh Mozzarella – If you’ve never tried fresh Mozzarella (packed in water, not the kind you shred), you must. It’s not as salty as the packaged kinds and it’s super soft and rich in flavor. Perfect for use in pasta salads! The cheese easily pulls apart.
- Rinse Your Pasta – Now, I know this is a big no-no in the pasta world, but when it comes to cold pasta salads, rinsing is a must. After removing pasta from boiling water, it continues to cook while it’s still hot. Rinsing it with cold water stops the cooking process and also chills the pasta so it can be used right away.
- Serve At Room Temperature – With mayo or sour cream based dressings like my Tuna Pasta Salad, chilling your pasta salad is necessary. But since this Caprese Pasta Salad is coated in a tangy vinegar and oil based dressing, it doesn’t require chilling.
- Use Fresh Basil (and lots of it!) – Buy the pack of fresh basil leaves in the produce department. To get nice even cuts (chiffonade), stack the leaves on top of each other and roll them together in a small log. Slice with a sharp knife. The result will be nice even strips of basil. Wait until the last minute to slice your basil to prevent browning.
- Make It A Meal – Add some protein to make it a complete meal. Grilled or rotisserie chicken goes perfectly with this, as does shrimp or Italian sausage.
Serving Suggestions
Create an Italian-themed menu by serving with Italian Pork Chops, Balsamic Chicken, or Skillet Chicken Pomodoro. For some delicious Italian-inspired appetizers try my Pesto Bruschetta or Meatball Marinara Poppers.
For a potluck or BBQ, serve with Grilled Chicken Kabobs or Juicy Grilled Hamburgers and sides like 7 Layer Salad, Fresh Corn Salad, and Slow Cooker Baked Beans.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Leftovers will last 3-4 days stored in the refrigerator. If the pasta seems dry, add more balsamic dressing. The pasta will soak it up as it sits.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Easy Vegetable Pasta Salad
- Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound Small dry pasta such as rotini or farfalle
- 2 pints Cherry or grape tomatoes
- 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella cheese cut into small cubes
- ¼ cup Fresh basil leaves thinly sliced (plus some for garnish)
Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half and cut Mozzarella into small, bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes and Mozzarella and the basil. Drizzle on the balsamic vinaigrette and gently fold ingredients together until well coated with the dressing.
- Garnish with additional basil and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until well combined (or shake in a tightly sealed container). Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. Store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Wonderful recipe! Easy to make and absolutely delicious! I added parmesan cheese, bacon bits, red onion and black olives. This will be in my regular recipe rotation. Thanks for the great recipe!
You are so welcome Michelle! Thank you for your feedback.
I’ve been craving a good hearty pasta salad that we could have for dinner along with lunch leftovers. This one was just the ticket! I added rotisserie chicken for protein (and to appease my meat lover husband). Also added a touch more balsamic and basil, and served with a drizzling of balsamic glaze on top. It made a TON and the leftovers are even better! Thinking it would also be good with bacon instead of chicken. Will definitely make again!
It would be fantastic with bacon! Thanks for sharing your feeback, Kimberly!
I made this for a surprise party for my mom today. It was FABULOUS! And super easy. I cooked the pasta yesterday, and made a variation of the dressing recipe to put on it while it was still warm so the flavors could soak in, I added about 2 T of pesto to the olive oil/balsamic for the “soaking” dressing. Then I made the full vinaigrette (minus the garlic) when I pulled it all together today. YUMMY!
Nice! it does sound yummy! thank you so much for stopping by Sue.
Your dressing recipe has this ingredient:
“3 tablespoons cup balsamic vinegar”
I assume you probably mean 3Tbs vinegar, but could you confirm, please?
Yes that was a typo – should be 3 tablespoons. Thanks!
I would love to take this to a potluck, do you serve it with the dressing already mixed into the salad? Or on the side?