This Caprese Pasta Salad is an easy Meatless Monday recipe, excellent for the nice and cozy summer season months. Crammed with contemporary seasonal produce – most of which could be present in your very personal edible backyard – this refreshing dish is could be served as a important dish or as a facet dish. Aside from being scrumptious and light-weight, this pasta salad can also be a greener selection for your loved ones as it’s meatless, seasonal and natural! Caprese is a standard Italian appetizer consisting of slices of tomatoes, contemporary mozzarella, and contemporary basil. I thrown all of those favorites right into a pasta salad to make it much more satisfying.

This Caprese Pasta Salad Will Be A New Favourite!
Caprese pasta salad is a scrumptious and refreshing dish that mixes the flavors of a traditional Caprese salad with pasta. Right here’s a easy recipe to make Caprese pasta salad.
Why is it referred to as Caprese Pasta Salad?
I based mostly this recipe on the well-known Caprese salads widespread in Italy. That dish is believed to have been created on the island of Capri, therefore its identify. Like all Italian meals, it has a lovely simplicity as a result of they consider in utilizing the best high quality regional components the place the flavors of the contemporary meals shine by means of as the celebrities.
The Caprese salad options slices of contemporary vine ripened tomatoes with contemporary picked basil leaves layered with contemporary mozzarella pearls drizzled with regionally grown olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and your tastebuds will water with anticipation. I took all these superb flavors and combined them with could favourite consolation meals of all time- pasta- for a pasta salad that will get the chef’s kiss!
I like the way you get all the great issues in a single fairly wholesome dish! You get the well being advantages of contemporary produce, the protein from contemporary mozzarella cheese, and a few carbs from the pasta.
Is Caprese Pasta Salad served room temperature or chilly?
As you favor. You possibly can serve the Caprese pasta salad as quickly as it’s achieved however I’d counsel letting it marinate all collectively within the fridge for a minimum of quarter-hour to permit the flavors to completely come collectively. After I make this recipe in the summertime, I often served it chilly so I make it forward of time and let it relaxation within the fridge till we’re able to eat.
If you would like it chilly, it’s a make forward of time dish. If you would like it room temperature, you’ll be able to simply whip it up on the spot.
Prep: 5 minutes
Prepare dinner: 10 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Caprese Pasta Salad Substances
- 1 pound of pasta (I used cavatappi for these pictures however typically I take advantage of penne or rotini)
- 2 cups of natural grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of contemporary small mozzarella cheese balls (perlini or ciliegine)
- 1 cup of contemporary basil leaves (washed, dried, and chopped)
- ¼ cup further virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup pink wine vinegar (or substitute balsamic vinegar when you desire)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- salt and contemporary floor black pepper, to style (about 1/2 tsp every)


How To Make Caprese Pasta Salad
Prepare dinner pasta in keeping with the al dente package deal instructions and drain. Place pasta into a big mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a spoon to coat evenly and maintain from sticking.
Chop candy cherry tomatoes in half. If utilizing ciliegine mozzarella balls, chop in half as nicely. Add contemporary tomatoes with juices, mozzarella and basil to pasta. Toss to combine and place in fridge to chill.
To organize your Caprese pasta salad dressing:
Combine collectively olive oil and vinegar. Squeeze the freshly-peeled garlic cloves by means of a garlic press into the combination and add salt and pepper, to style (I used about ½ teaspoon of every). You possibly can stir all components collectively in a bowl or I all the time use a small mason jar to shake nicely once I first make it and once more, simply earlier than pouring it over the opposite pasta salad components.
Pour dressing over pasta salad simply earlier than you’re able to serve it. Toss and luxuriate in!


Notes:
Any of the varied kinds of contemporary mozzarella will work so long as you chop them down into small chunk dimension items.
You can use a retailer purchased Italian dressing as a substitute of the straightforward selfmade Caprese pasta salad dressing recipe I offered. Nevertheless, I feel you’d be shedding out on taste massive time. You possibly can’t change the presence of a superb virgin olive oil and retailer purchased dressing often use low-cost high quality oils.
Cellentani Vs Cavatappi Vs Corksrew Pasta: Similar pasta by totally different names relying on the model. Cavatappi is actually Italian for corkscrew. You possibly can truly use any sort of pasta you take pleasure in most, together with tortellini.
Printable Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe Card
Simple Caprese Pasta Salad
Scrumptious one dish pasta salad that’s certain to please. Nice made forward of time and served chilled.
Substances
- 1 pound of cellentani pasta
- 2 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups of contemporary small mozzarella cheese balls
- 1 cup of contemporary basil leaves (washed, dried, and chopped)
- ¼ cup virgin olive oil (+ 2 tbsp for drizzling over scorching pasta)
- ¼ cup pink wine vinegar
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp contemporary floor black pepper
Directions
- Prepare dinner pasta in keeping with package deal instructions and drain.
- Place pasta into a big bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a spoon to coat evenly and maintain from sticking.
- Chop cherry tomatoes in half.
- Add tomatoes, mozzarella and basil to pasta. Toss to combine and place in fridge to chill.
- Combine collectively olive oil and vinegar. Squeeze the freshly-peeled garlic cloves by means of a garlic press into the container and add salt and pepper, to style. Combine nicely.
- Pour dressing over pasta salad simply earlier than you’re able to serve it. Toss and luxuriate in!
Diet Details
Simple Caprese Pasta Salad
Serves: 6
| Quantity Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 582.04 kcal | |
| % Each day Worth* | ||
|
Complete Fats 26.3 g |
40% | |
| Saturated Fats 11.58 g | 55% | |
| Trans Fats 0.0 g | ||
|
Ldl cholesterol 57.82 mg |
19% | |
|
Sodium 518.82 mg |
21.6% | |
|
Complete Carbohydrate 60.94 g |
20% | |
| Dietary Fiber 3.27 g | 12% | |
| Sugars 4.23 g | ||
|
Protein 24.62 g |
||
| Vitamin A 18.12 % | Vitamin C 10.08 % | |
| Calcium 40.6 % | Iron 8.52 % | |
* P.c Each day Values are based mostly on a 2,000 calorie weight loss plan. Your each day values could also be increased or decrease relying in your calorie wants.
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Conclusion
This Caprese Pasta Salad is a vibrant, refreshing dish that brings collectively the colours of the Italian flag with juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella balls, and tender pasta. A drizzle of olive oil enhances the contemporary components, making each chunk gentle but satisfying. For added protein, toss in some optionally available rotisserie hen to make it a heartier meal. Excellent for summer season cookouts or a fast weeknight dinner, this salad is certain to grow to be your favourite pasta dish of the season!
You’ll love the marginally acidic bitter notes from the tomatoes with the wealthy creamy notes from the contemporary mozzarella whereas the herbaceous basil shines by means of. A extremely good high quality virgin oil is the right lingering word in your palate. Yum! This Caprese pasta salad is ideal for picnics, potlucks, or as a refreshing facet dish for any meal. Get pleasure from! Have you ever tried incorporating Meatless Mondays into your weekly meal plan? What are a few of your favourite meatless pasta dishes?
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