Easy Caprese Pasta Salad
Make a day ahead or enjoy this easy pasta salad in a few hours. ( The prep time below includes 2 hours of chilling in the refrigerator)
- Prep Time: 2 hr 10 min
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 2 hr 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) short dry pasta (gemelli, orecchiette, penne, fusilli, rotini, bowtie or small shells)
- 8 oz. small marinated mozzarella balls, halved
- 1 cup ( 8 oz.) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed, cut into ribbons
Caprese Pasta Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (white balsamic vinegar is great if you have it)
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large clove of garlic, pressed
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
Instructions
- Boil Pasta per directions on the packaging for al dente.
- Make the dressing: Mix olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, pressed garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic in a small mixing bowl, and set aside.
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half and cut basil into thin ribbons.
- Once pasta is done cooking, drain and run a little cold water just for about 1 minute. (We want the pasta to stay warm so the dressing soaks into the pasta better)
- Mix pasta, tomatoes, dressing and basil in a large mixing bowl and chill at least 2 hours. (If you can't wait 2 hours, just chill the pasta thoroughly under cold water)
- Once you are ready to serve the salad, mix in your cut mozzarella balls, adjust the seasoning and add a bit of olive oil just to freshen it up and enjoy!
Notes
Enjoy this salad within 2-3 days for maximum freshness
Keywords: salad, pasta, ceprese, mozarella, basil, cold side, side dish
Find it online: https://wholemadeliving.com/easy-caprese-pasta-salad/
