This Caprese pasta salad recipe is ideal for summer season picnics! It is tremendous vibrant and recent, stuffed with tomatoes, basil, and a lightweight balsamic dressing.
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is virtually summer season in a bowl! As you possibly can in all probability inform from its identify, it’s a scrumptious fusion of two summer season favorites: pasta salad and Italian Caprese salad.
When you ask me, it’s a match made in heaven. A basic Caprese salad is bursting with recent summer season taste, because of the well-known mixture of creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant basil. Nevertheless it isn’t as packable as pasta salad, a staple at picnics and potlucks.
This simple Caprese pasta salad recipe combines one of the best of each. You get all of the recent taste of a Caprese salad in a picnic-friendly pasta salad type. And it’s not simply good for picnics and cookouts—I additionally love meal prepping this salad for a recent summer season lunch!
The best way to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
You’ll find the entire Caprese pasta salad recipe with measurements on the backside of this publish. For now, right here’s a fast overview of the way it goes:
Caprese Pasta Salad Substances
- Unsurprisingly, this Caprese pasta salad begins with tomatoes, basil, and recent mozzarella—the star elements in a basic Caprese salad. Cherry or grape tomatoes are finest on this salad—they maintain their form and have a scrumptious super-sweet taste. They go properly with “ciliegine,” or cherry-size, mozzarella balls.
- I additionally use purple onion and pecorino cheese within the salad. They add good savory depth.
- I spherical it out with pasta (after all!). I feel screw-shaped cavatappi are actually enjoyable right here, however one other quick pasta like fusilli or rotini would work properly too.
- A easy dressing ties all of it all collectively. Made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice, it provides vibrant, tangy taste to the salad.
Discover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.
To make the salad, begin by cooking the pasta. Two huge ideas right here:
- Prepare dinner the pasta till it’s barely previous al dente. I’ll all the time let you know to cook dinner your pasta simply till al dente if you’re making a scorching pasta dish. However for a chilly pasta salad, it’s higher for the pasta to be a bit of softer. That manner, it should keep tender as soon as it cools. (Al dente pasta would harden!)
- After cooking, enable the pasta to chill. When you toss the new pasta with the opposite salad elements straight away, the recent basil and onion will wilt.
Whereas the pasta cools, make the salad dressing. Whisk collectively the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic, grated pecorino, garlic, salt, and pepper in a big bowl.
Subsequent, assemble the salad. Add the cooled pasta and toss to coat within the dressing, then add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, purple onion, and basil and toss once more. Prime with shaved pecorino and gently toss.
Earlier than serving, season to style and garnish with extra basil.
Get pleasure from!
What to Serve with Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad is a superb aspect dish for summer season cookouts and picnics. Serve it with veggie burgers or black bean burgers and different summery sides like grilled corn, potato salad, and coleslaw.
I additionally find it irresistible for lunch. It pairs completely with a aspect of recent fruit!
- Tip: Make this a heartier lunch salad by including chickpeas for plant-based protein.
Make-Forward and Storage Suggestions
This salad retains properly in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 2 days.
Meal prep tip: The salad holds up longer with out the basil, for as much as 4 days within the fridge. Once I meal prep it for per week of lunches, I hold the basil separate, sprinkling it over a person serving after I’m able to eat.
Extra Pasta Salad Recipes to Attempt
When you love this recipe, strive considered one of these recent pasta salads subsequent:
