Caprese pasta salad is a delicious pasta salad with the ingredients of caprese salad; fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes, mixed with noodles and tossed with a balsamic vinegar dressing and its a delicious refreshing side dish, perfect to eat all summer long!
Caprese pasta salad is a pasta salad you’re going to want to make again and again. It’s so fresh and perfect to make for a summer bbq, or a summer potluck with friends, but just as delicious eating at home with dinner, or for a light lunch too! This whole dish can be made in only about 20 minutes, but I think its best after letting the flavors meddle in the fridge for a couple hours, or overnight if you want to make it ahead of time for sharing!
I’ve seen a few caprese pasta salad recipes that had a pesto sauce for the dressing, but I love caprese salad with balsamic vinegar to really balance the taste of the sweet tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. A simple olive oil and salt dressing, or a homemade Italian vinaigrette dressing would be delicious for this as well. It would super good with some balsamic glaze drizzled over the top as well.
The balsamic vinegar dressing is made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano and salt. Its a delicious dressing that would be good on any of your favorite salads, or would be so good for dipping some fresh bread too.
If you love caprese as much as I do, then you’ll go crazy for this simple caprese pasta salad! This pasta salad would make the perfect side dish to my light and tangy and delicious bruschetta chicken, if you love balsamic vinegar, its the perfect combination!
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz medium shell pasta
- 8 oz mozzarella pearls
- 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
For the Balsamic Vinegar Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 TBS minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta according to package directions.
- Drain and rinse pasta with cold water when done.
- Add pasta, mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, and basil to a large bowl.
For the Balsamic Vinegar Dressing:
- Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Whisk everything together till smooth.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and stir it all together to combine.
- Cover pasta salad and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
Roberta Mecham says
My family loved this salad. Will make it again. Thank you for sharing! I used Mimi bow tie pasta.
Stephanie Boyd says
Soooo good! Could not stop eating it. Quick and easy to make. Used white balsamic vinegar, so pasta would not discolor.