Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad brings a taste of the Mediterranean to your table. It consists of four ingredients tossed with pasta and a pesto-based vinaigrette that adds vibrant flavor to this easy take on classic caprese salad.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Calories: 298kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

1 pound pasta (see notes)
16 ounces mozzarella balls (pearls) halved
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
½ cup fresh basil slivered

Pesto Dressing

½ cup basil pesto
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

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Instructions

For the Pasta Salad

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente (according to package instructions). I cooked the fusilli for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
Meanwhile, drain the mozzarella balls, cutting them in half if necessary for bite-size pieces, and place them in a large bowl. Then, slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the bowl along with thinly sliced basil. Finally, add the cooked pasta and toss.

For the Pesto Dressing

Whisk together the pesto, vinegar, olive oil, citrus juice if using, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Drizzle over the pasta and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.

Notes

Pasta: Use a short pasta like fusilli, orrechiette, macaroni or penne.
Mozzarella: When shopping for mozzarella balls, you will find a variety of sizes: mozzarella balls (or bocconcini), ciliegine, and pearl sizes. The difference is that bocconcini is about the size of a golf ball, whereas ciliegine is closer to a cherry tomato, and the pearl size (or perlini) is more similar to a raspberry size. I'm using the smallest (or pearl size). Larger balls will need to be halved to make them bite size.
Alternative Pasta Salad Dressing: If you would perfect a creamy pasta salad dressing, I particularly like to combine these ingredients:
½ cup basil pesto
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt and pepper

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