Caprese Pasta Salad (Printable)
Fresh pasta tossed with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and balsamic dressing for a quick Italian meal.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 8.8 oz short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle)
→ Vegetables & Cheese
02 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or bocconcini), halved
04 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Dressing
06 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
08 - 1 clove garlic, minced
09 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
10 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
# Steps:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until well emulsified.
03 - Add the cooled pasta, halved cherry tomatoes, halved mozzarella balls, thinly sliced red onion, and torn basil leaves to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours for a chilled version. Garnish with extra fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, which makes it my weeknight rescue meal more often than I care to admit.
- The balsamic dressing seeps into every nook of the pasta overnight, so leftovers taste even better the next day for lunch.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the pasta, residual heat will melt your mozzarella into sad little puddles before you even sit down to eat.
- Adding the basil at the very last second instead of early on keeps it bright green instead of wilted and bruised.
03 -
- Make the dressing in the bottom of the bowl you plan to serve in, which means fewer dishes and better flavor distribution.
- Let the assembled salad rest for fifteen minutes before eating so the pasta has time to drink in the dressing and the tomatoes release their juice into the mix.