Italian Caprese Pasta Salad
Italian Caprese Pasta Salad is made with fresh mozzarella pearls, torn basil, vine-ripe tomatoes, and fun Cellentani pasta, all deliciously tossed in a light oil and vinegar dressing. It’s the type of pasta that makes all the difference in this tasty dish!
Caprese Pasta Salad Perfect For Summer
I always have a pasta salad in my fridge for grab-and-eat meals, summer potlucks, and parties. These salads feel healthy, flavorful, and filling during the summertime.
This easy pasta salad fills the bill just perfectly. It makes a good-sized batch for a crowd, uses common Italian ingredients that you can find at any grocery store, and best of all, it’s HEARTY.
The Cellentani pasta has special grooves that run the length of the pasta. These grooves hold the dressing in place against the pasta, allowing you to savor more flavor in every bite. I also like using rotini-shaped pasta for this same reason – there are more nooks and crannies within each piece of pasta where the dressing or sauce can gather. Again, more flavor in every bite!
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send you this recipe to your mailbox for easy reference! Plus, we will send you our latest recipes every week!
I also find that serving these salads at room temperature, rather than freshly chilled, definitely intensifies the flavors. If you are looking for more pasta salads to try, check out my Dill Pickle Pasta Salad and my BLT Pasta Salad.
Ingredients for Making Italian Caprese Pasta Salad
- Pasta: Cook this according to the package directions, just until it begins to get tender, or al dente. Overcooked pasta doesn’t hold up well and tends to fall apart. I love the fun shape of the cellentani pasta, but you can use whichever shape you prefer.
- Olive oil: Alternatively, if your family prefers a milder flavor, consider using avocado or grape seed oil, as their flavor profiles are more neutral. Flavored oils (such as garlic or lemon infused oils) are great for salads like these.
- Red wine vinegar: Substitute white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar. Or, if you’ve got a nice, mild balsamic vinegar that you love, use that.
- Grape tomatoes: Slice or chop these however you prefer. May substitute cherry tomatoes or even diced roma tomatoes, too.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic in this salad, please! Crush it with your garlic press or mince it on your cutting board with your chef knife.
- Mozzarella Pearls: These creamy little balls of fresh mozzarella are very mild in flavor and really absorb the dressing flavors. I leave mine whole, but you could halve them, if preferred.
- Fresh basil: I love freshly torn fresh basil. Every tear intensifies the flavor! You can also just chop or slice it. And if you don’t have fresh basil (boo), just stir 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves into the dressing.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions
In a large serving bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, kosher salt and pepper.
I like to save back a small portion of the dressing to use just before serving the salad. Pasta tends to absorb every bit of dressing you will allow it to! Saving some back to toss in right when you serve the salad works beautifully. If you forget to do this, you can also toss in a light sprinkle of red wine vinegar – works like a charm.
Add the grape tomato halves, mozzarella pearls, and freshly cooked pasta, gently tossing to combine. Allow the mixture to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh basil.
Serve at once or cover and refrigerate to serve later.
For Summer Gatherings and Parties – How to Store and Serve
Food safety is always important and it can be of greater concern when we dine outdoors. Caprese pasta salad is much safer for outdoor gatherings and parties because it hosts an oil-based salad dressing, not a mayonnaise-based dressing.
Pasta salads with oil-based salad dressings like this one are much more temperature stable and food safe compared to mayonnaise-based saladas. If you’re serving those type of salads, be sure to keep them chilled and not left out for extended periods of time.
More Salads to Enjoy –
Layered with fresh summer ingredients like tomatoes, pinto beans, bacon, corn, cheese, and Jiffy cornbread mix, Old Fashioned Cornbread Salad is a show-stopping side dish.
Creamy bacon ranch pasta salad is full of juicy tomatoes, crunchy onions, soft cheese and topped with salty bacon.
Tortellini Pasta Salad with cheese tortellini, tomatoes, basil, and corn in a light vinaigrette dressing is the perfect summer salad.
Italian Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cellentani pasta, or any shape pasta you prefer, I like Barilla brand cooked according to package directions to al dente
- 1/3 cup olive or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 3 cups grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves chopped or torn
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, kosher salt and pepper. I like to save back a bit of this dressing sometimes. This lets me refresh the pasta salad after it's sitting.1/3 cup olive or avocado oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the grape tomato halves, mozzarella pearls, and freshly cooked pasta, gently tossing to combine; allow to marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.8 ounces Cellentani pasta, or any shape pasta you prefer, I like Barilla brand, 3 cups grape tomatoes, 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- Just before serving, stir in the fresh basil.1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- Serve at once or cover and refrigerate to serve later. Salad is most flavorful when served at room temperature.