Caprese Pasta Salad
All the cheese, tomato, basil, and flavor goodness from a traditional caprese salad, but with pasta! This Caprese Pasta Salad is light, flavorful and won’t weigh you down!
A 20 MINUTE PASTA SALAD RECIPE
If you’re like me, I bet you’re ready for some warmer spring weather and some warm weather inspired dishes. That’s why I’m sharing this Caprese Pasta Salad. Tender pasta noodles, juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella balls with pops of basil bring all of the summer vibes. It’s such a light pasta salad but it really is packed with so much flavor. We loved it so much, I’ve made it 4 times this month already!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Of course you can. 1 ¼ cup chopped tomatoes of any variety may be used in place of cherry tomatoes.
In this Caprese Pasta Salad, shells, penne, and bow tie pasta all may be used instead of the elbow macaroni. Any similarly sized pasta can be used.
Absolutely! Anything you think will work with these flavors can be added. Just keep in mind, the more you add, the more dressing you may want. Adding chicken would really make this a filling meal!
Yes, you can make this ahead of time. I would suggest combining the dressing and storing that in it’s own bowl. Then cook the pasta, cut the tomatoes, etc and store those in their own containers up to 24 hours in advance. About an hour before you’re ready to serve, combine everything as normal and let the flavors meld until ready to serve. The reason why you don’t want to add the dressing right away is the pasta will continue to soak up the dressing as it sits and you don’t want to end up with a dry pasta salad.
Store leftover pasta in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toss the pasta again prior to serving, and add a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Do not freeze.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- uncooked elbow macaroni – you can use any similar size pasta shape. Shells work great with this recipe.
- cherry tomatoes – I think cherry tomatoes are a bit more tender than grape tomatoes but you can use grape tomatoes or even a diced beefsteak tomato.
- small marinated mozzarella balls– drain and save the oil. I really like the marinated mozzarella balls from Aldi. I’ve tried a lot and I think those really have more flavor and they are generally cheaper than a lot of the brands out there. But you can’t always find them in stock so use what you can find.
- fresh basil leaves – we do use some dried basil in this recipe but you really also need the fresh basil leave. It is going to give you the best flavor and really make it taste more like a true caprese salad.
- leftover marinade oil – The marinade oil from the mozzarella balls is so good and shouldn’t go to waste. There is so much flavor in them so don’t toss it.
- white balsamic vinegar – you can use regular balsamic vinegar. White balsamic vinegar is milder and slightly less sweet.
- fresh garlic clove – fresh garlic is going to really give you some great garlic flavor but you can use the jarred garlic.
- dried basil – you could also use oregano.
HOW TO MAKE CAPRESE PASTA SALAD
Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions (al dente). Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to cool. In a small bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl, add halved tomatoes and mozzarella balls.
Add cooled macaroni to the bowl. Pour dressing over the ingredients and stir.
Add fresh basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to consume.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 10 ounce container cherry tomatoes, halved
- 12 ounce container marinated mozzarella balls (drained and save the oil)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in ribbons
Dressing Ingredients:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- leftover oil from drained mozzarella balls
- 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Cook 1.5 cups uncooked elbow macaroni according to package directions (to al dente). Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to cool.
- In a small bowl, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, leftover oil from drained mozzarella balls, 1 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, 1 fresh garlic clove, minced, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and pinch of sugar. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add 10 ounce container cherry tomatoes, halved and 12 ounce container marinated mozzarella balls.
- Add cooled macaroni to the bowl.
- Pour dressing over the ingredients and stir.
- Add ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in ribbons and toss to combine. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to consume.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- If you prefer, you can cut the mozzarella balls in half if they are too large.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
