This Caprese pasta salad recipe is ideal for summer season picnics! It is tremendous shiny and recent, crammed with tomatoes, basil, and a light-weight balsamic dressing.
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is virtually summer season in a bowl! As you may in all probability inform from its identify, it’s a scrumptious fusion of two summer season favorites: pasta salad and Italian Caprese salad.
In case you ask me, it’s a match made in heaven. A traditional Caprese salad is bursting with recent summer season taste, because of the well-known mixture of creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and fragrant basil. However it isn’t as packable as pasta salad, a staple at picnics and potlucks.
This simple Caprese pasta salad recipe combines the very 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 right way to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
You will discover the whole 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 Components
- Unsurprisingly, this Caprese pasta salad begins with tomatoes, basil, and recent mozzarella—the star elements in a traditional Caprese salad. Cherry or grape tomatoes are finest on this salad—they maintain their form and have a scrumptious super-sweet taste. They go effectively with “ciliegine,” or cherry-size, mozzarella balls.
- I additionally use pink onion and pecorino cheese within the salad. They add good savory depth.
- I spherical it out with pasta (in fact!). I feel screw-shaped cavatappi are actually enjoyable right here, however one other brief pasta like fusilli or rotini would work effectively too.
- A easy dressing ties all of it all collectively. Made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice, it provides shiny, tangy taste to the salad.
Discover the whole recipe with measurements under.
To make the salad, begin by cooking the pasta. Two huge ideas right here:
- Cook dinner the pasta till it’s barely previous al dente. I’ll at all times let you know to prepare dinner your pasta simply till al dente while you’re making a scorching pasta dish. However for a chilly pasta salad, it’s higher for the pasta to be a little bit softer. That method, it should keep tender as soon as it cools. (Al dente pasta would harden!)
- After cooking, permit the pasta to chill. In case 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, pink onion, and basil and toss once more. High with shaved pecorino and gently toss.
Earlier than serving, season to style and garnish with extra basil.
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What to Serve with Caprese Pasta Salad
This Caprese pasta salad is a good 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 like it 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 Ideas
This salad retains effectively 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. After I meal prep it for every week of lunches, I hold the basil separate, sprinkling it over a person serving once I’m able to eat.
Extra Pasta Salad Recipes to Attempt
In case you love this recipe, strive one among these recent pasta salads subsequent:
Caprese Pasta Salad
Serves 6
This Caprese pasta salad recipe is simple, recent, and scrumptious! An ideal summer season aspect dish, it is crammed with cherry tomatoes, basil, creamy mozzarella, and a light-weight balsamic French dressing. Discover make-ahead ideas within the weblog publish above!
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Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Put together the pasta in line with the package deal directions, cooking till barely previous al dente. Drain, toss with a drizzle of olive oil to forestall sticking, and unfold on a big plate or baking sheet to chill.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, grated pecorino, garlic, salt, and several other grinds of pepper. Add the cooled pasta and toss to coat, then add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pink onion, and basil and toss once more. Add the shaved pecorino and gently toss.
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Season to style, garnish with extra basil, and serve.
