Caprese Pasta Salad (Printable)
Fresh Italian pasta toss with mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and balsamic dressing in 25 minutes.
# 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 rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and rinse briefly under cold running water to halt cooking and bring the pasta to room temperature.
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 the dressing is smooth and 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. Gently toss everything together until all components are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve right away at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours if you prefer a chilled salad. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under thirty minutes, which means you can decide to make it at the very last second and still look like you planned ahead.
- The combination of cold pasta, fresh basil, and that garlicky balsamic dressing tastes like something you would pay good money for at a roadside trattoria.
02 -
- If you dress the salad and then leave it in the fridge overnight, the pasta will absorb everything and turn dry, so always make extra dressing on the side if you plan to store it.
- Rinsing pasta feels wrong to Italian purists, but for a cold salad it prevents the noodles from sticking into a sad clump.
03 -
- Let the dressed salad sit for ten minutes before serving because the flavors deepen and settle in a way they simply cannot achieve immediately.
- Drizzle a tiny pour of your best olive oil over the finished bowl right before serving for an aromatic finish that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.