Caprese Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Tomato, mozzarella, and basil pasta toss in balsamic dressing — fresh Italian flavors 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

# Directions:

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 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. Toss gently until every component is evenly coated.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours for a chilled version. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing comes together with just a whisk and five pantry staples you probably already have.
  • It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for an hour, making it a dream for make ahead meals.
  • You can twist it a dozen different ways depending on what is in your fridge.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta might feel wrong if you are used to saving starchy pasta water, but for a cold salad it prevents the noodles from turning gummy and sticking together.
  • Do not dress the salad more than two hours ahead or the tomatoes will weep and the basil will turn dark and sad.
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater because that is the only chance you get to season the pasta itself.
  • Let the dressing sit for five minutes before tossing so the garlic has time to bloom in the vinegar.

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