Caprese Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil tossed with pasta in balsamic dressing for a fresh Italian-inspired dish.

# 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

# How to Make It:

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 in a colander and rinse briefly under cold running water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta completely.
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 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 ingredients are evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours and serve chilled. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, which means you can decide to make it twenty minutes before guests arrive and still look perfectly composed.
  • The balsamic dressing is sharp enough to make every bite interesting but gentle enough that even the picky eaters at my table go back for seconds.
02 -
  • Do not skip rinsing the pasta under cold water, because residual heat will melt the mozzarella into sad little puddles before you even get the bowl to the table.
  • If you plan to make this ahead, add the basil at the very last minute since it darkens and wilts after about an hour in the dressing.
03 -
  • Let the dressed salad sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving, because the flavors open up and the pasta absorbs the dressing in a way that tastes completely different from straight out of the fridge.
  • Halve the tomatoes and mozzarella first, then let them sit in the dressing for five minutes before adding the pasta so they start releasing their juices into the vinaigrette.

Go back