Everyone always gets drawn to a good pasta salad. Even beyond social events, we like to keep a big batch in the fridge for quick lunches and easy snacks. Our Antipasto Pasta Salad and Rainbow Pasta Salad make frequent visits to our fridge, and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad always receives recipe requests. Today’s recipe is one of the simplest pasta salads you could ever make, but it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Ingredients Needed
Dressing
Extra virgin olive oil – The base of the dressing. Nowadays there are a variety of types in the grocery store, I like a bold, richly flavored oil for this salad. Balsamic vinegar – For that classic caprese flavor. Lemon juice – To give the dressing a little tang. Please use freshly squeezed juice. Garlic – Just a little. Italian seasoning – To amp up the flavors. Crushed red pepper – For a touch of heat. Salt and pepper – To taste, as always.
Pasta salad
Pasta – A short shape is ideal. My favorite for this salad is bowtie, followed by rotini. Cherry tomatoes – Halved. Fresh mozzarella pearls – If your grocery store does not carry them, you can dice up fresh mozzarella balls. Fresh basil – It’s a must, don’t use dried here. Balsamic glaze – To drizzle on the salad before serving. If you don’t have it, you can simmer regular balsamic vinegar in a pan for 10-15 minutes until it reduces by half.
Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
First, I get the pasta water boiling, adding about 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 quarts of water. I add the pasta and cook it to slightly more than al dente, then drain in a colander and rinse it with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, I whisk together the dressing in a bowl, halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the basil. Once the pasta is done, I toss it with the dressing, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and basil. I cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate it for at least an hour before serving. Usually, I make it a day in advance to let the flavors mingle together. When ready to serve, I give it a drizzle of balsamic glaze to finish things off.
A Few Tips and Notes
Good extra virgin olive oil is key. Don’t even think of replacing it with any other type of oil. Cook the pasta until it’s a bit softer than al dente. Since it gets rinsed with cold water, it will not continue cooking. This recipe scales very well. If you’re serving a big crowd, just double all the amounts.
Serving Suggestions
Caprese pasta salad is the ideal side dish for all of your summer grilling favorites. Think Grilled Chicken Thighs, Grilled Flank Steak or grilled Sausage and Peppers. Other great pairings are Chicken Wings, Big Mac Tacos, Shrimp Foil Packs or Country Style Beef Ribs. Whip up a big batch of my Caprese Pasta Salad, it may be the new star of your cookout spread. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.
Caprese Pasta Salad, in our Gypsy Bowl… enjoy!
More great cookout side dishes:Mexican Street Corn SaladFried Green TomatoesThree Bean SaladWatermelon SaladCowboy CaviarMaque Choux
This pasta salad is a great make ahead dish. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the dressing, so you may wish to stir in a little additional olive oil before serving.
