Caprese pasta salad
Caprese pasta salad is loaded with fresh tomatoes, soft mozzarella and sweet basil and tossed with balsamic vinaigrette for an easy, bright and delicious summer side dish!
Yield: 6 -8 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 8-10 oz. orzo (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (mixed colors or red), halved
- 1 8 oz. container mini mozzarella balls, halved (see notes)
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
For the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and let cool completely. (You can drizzle it with some olive oil to avoid it clumping together.) Season the cooled pasta with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. (I recommend waiting to chop the basil until you are ready to use it.)
- To make the dressing, add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
- Combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
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Notes
The pasta needs to be cooked and then cooled to make the salad. Please plan accordingly.
I love using orzo here because it gets well coated in the vinaigrette and is easy to scoop into a bite with everything else in the salad. You could also use a small shell pasta or macaroni. Even a penne or bowtie pasta would work.
I love the Ciliegine or cherry size balls of fresh mozzarella for this salad. However, if you can only find larger balls or a full ball of fresh mozzarella, just chop that up into smaller pieces.
The homemade balsamic vinaigrette is super easy to make but you could certainly substitute a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette.
This salad is best served right after it’s mixed so everything is as fresh as possible. But you can prep everything for this salad ahead and then combine it before ready to serve.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 544kcal
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