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    🏠Home » Recipes » Salad Recipes

    Caprese Pasta Salad—Fresh and Easy

    Feb 17, 2020 · Modified: Jan 22, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 13 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    3.93 from 28 votes

    Caprese pasta salad is a light Italian fresh cold salad that makes a perfect side dish or a light meal or take it to a picnic, potluck, or a quick dinner. Easy to make with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.

    Caprese Pasta salad on a large spoon
    Jump To:
    • đź“‹Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to make this Caprese Pasta Salad
    • ❄️Storage
    • âť“FAQs
    • đź“–Summer Salad Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Caprese Pasta Salad is a traditional Italian dish with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, pasta, and olive oil or Italian dressing. Fresh cherry tomatoes are commonly added for color and taste. It is a light dish that screams summer.

    This half-size recipe is a more reasonable size but still makes a large amount. You can cut it in half again for only 6 servings, but you will end up wasting some ingredients.

    It stores well for only a few days but no longer. So not very "cooking for two" friendly for everyday use. So a special occasion dish for a large family get-together, a dish to pass, or pot lucks.

    đź“‹Ingredients

    • Pasta – a short pasta is like the mini penne, elbow macaroni, or rotini pasta. Gluten-free pasta can also be used. Cook per the instructions to Al Dente. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking, then toss with a few teaspoons of oil to stop cooking.
    • Vegetables - juicy tomatoes are the feature of the salad; use cherry tomatoes cut in half. Other vegetables like bell pepper, cucumber, olives, asparagus, or squash could be added.
    • Cheese - fresh mozzarella cheese, do not substitute. Use mozzarella balls or pearls. You can also chop larger pieces into bite-size bits.
    • Seasoning - fresh garlic and fresh basil
    • Dressing - just good extra virgin olive oil is suggested. Possible substitutes are Italian dressing, vinaigrette dressings, balsamic vinegar, or red wine vinegar.
    • Other add-ins - diced or shredded chicken will make it a complete meal. Other good options would be ham or pepperoni.

    👨‍🍳How to make this Caprese Pasta Salad

    1. Cut about 1 pound of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.
    2. In a large serving bowl, add tomatoes, crushed garlic, olive oil, Kosher salt, crushed red pepper (optional), and black pepper mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
    3. Cook 8 oz of pasta according to package instructions for Al Dente. When done, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Then, toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil to prevent sticking.
    4. Chop fresh basil. Chop fresh mozzarella into bite-size pieces if needed.
    5. Add the pasta, the mozzarella, and the basil to the tomatoes and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to let flavors blend if you have time.

    ❄️Storage

    Store leftovers covered airtight in the refrigerator. If you store it for a day, toss before serving and taste test, and add more oil and salt/pepper if needed. But two days is pushing it.

    ❓FAQs

    Is Caprese Salad healthy?

    It is low in calories, uses healthier oil, and has no simple carbohydrates, so it will fit most healthy diets.

    Can rotisserie chicken be added?

    Yes, about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken make an excellent addition and make the salad a complete light meal.

    đź“–Summer Salad Recipes

    Broccoli Salad with Bacon

    Homemade Macaroni Salad

    Broccoli Slaw

    Fresh Spinach Salad; A Summer Favorite

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Appetizer and Party Recipes, Cooking for Groups Recipes, Grill Side Dish Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Salad Recipes, Side Dish Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    tomatos, pasta and cheese for Caprese Salad

    Use the freshest ingredients you can get.

    cherry tomatoes cut in half on black board

    Start by cutting about 1 pound of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.

    adding oil to caprese salad

    In a large serving bowl, add tomatoes along with 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, ÂĽ cup good olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, a pinch of red pepper (optional), and black pepper to taste (about ÂĽ teaspoon to start) mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

    cooked pasta in white bowl

    Use mini penne or other smaller pasta. Cook 8 oz of pasta according to package instructions for Al Dente. When done, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Then, toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil to prevent sticking.

    chopped fresh mozzarella cheese in black board

    Chop 8 oz of fresh mozzarella into bite-size pieces.

    chopped fresh basil on black board

    Chop 10 leaves of fresh basil.

    Adding basil to the caprese

    Add the pasta, the mozzarella, and the basil to the tomatoes and mix well. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for a few hours to let flavors blend if you have time.

    Caprese Pasta salad on a white plate
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    📝Recipe

    Caprese Pasta salad on a large spoon

    Caprese Pasta Salad—Fresh and Easy

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Caprese pasta salad is a light Italian fresh cold salad that makes a perfect side dish or a light meal or take it to a picnic, potluck, or a quick dinner. Easy to make with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    3.93 from 28 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Resting time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 12 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes
    • ½ pound small pasta
    • 8 oz fresh mozzarella
    • 2-3 cloves garlic - crushed
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 10 fresh basil leaves
    • 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) - about â…› teaspoon
    • Black pepper to taste - start at ÂĽ teaspoon
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Use the freshest ingredients you can get.
      tomatos, pasta and cheese for Caprese Salad
    • Start by cutting about 1 pound of cherry or grape tomatoes in half.
      cherry tomatoes cut in half on black board
    • In a large serving bowl, add tomatoes along with 2-3 cloves crushed garlic, ÂĽ cup good olive oil, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, a pinch of red pepper (optional), and black pepper to taste (about ÂĽ teaspoon to start) mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
      adding oil to caprese salad
    • Use mini penne or other smaller pasta. Cook 8 oz of pasta according to package instructions for Al Dente. When done, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Then, toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil to prevent sticking.
      cooked pasta in white bowl
    • Chop 8 oz of fresh mozzarella into bite-size pieces.
      chopped fresh mozzarella cheese in black board
    • Chop 10 leaves of fresh basil.
      chopped fresh basil on black board
    • Add the pasta, the mozzarella, and the basil to the tomatoes and mix well. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap for a few hours to let flavors blend if you have time.
      Adding basil to the caprese
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Fresh ingredients are the key to a good result.
    2. This makes a lot of salad. It has already been decreased. You can decrease more but probably will have lots of partially used containers of ingredients.
    3. Great for family get-togethers, picnics, take a dish, or potluck.
    4. The ingredients are not set in stone. Many options are discussed in the recipe post.
    5. This is very good with added shredded rotisserie chicken—about 2 cups.
    6. Only good refrigerated for 1-2 days.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Caprese Pasta Salad—Fresh and Easy
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 134 Calories from Fat 45
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 5g8%
    Saturated Fat 3g15%
    Cholesterol 15mg5%
    Sodium 318mg13%
    Potassium 139mg4%
    Carbohydrates 16g5%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 330IU7%
    Vitamin C 9mg11%
    Calcium 104mg10%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Side Dish
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published August 10, 2013. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Molly with in flowers 2022

    More Salad Recipes

    • Waldorf Chicken Salad
    • Broccoli Salad with Bacon
    • Fresh Spinach Salad with Bacon
    • Homemade Macaroni Salad

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    1. abby

      March 30, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Haven't tried it yet, but looks delicious! how many does it serve?

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        March 30, 2019 at 6:50 pm

        Hi Abby,
        Welcome to the site.
        Unfortunately, this is a large recipe for 12. More for a family gathering than "for two". You can adjust the number of servings in the recipe card.
        Hope you enjoy it and thanks for the rating
        Dan

    2. Terri Odekirk

      February 05, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      This is fantastic! I used to buy a similar salad made at Wegman’s, but this is much better!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        February 06, 2019 at 7:31 pm

        Hi Terri,
        Welcome to the blog.
        I think the fresh ingredients make all the taste difference.
        Glad you like it.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    3. Wanda

      September 03, 2018 at 1:55 pm

      Making it again for family gathering. Love it!!!

      Reply
    4. Wicked

      September 30, 2017 at 12:40 pm

      Made this to take to Saturday nite dance party at my cousin's house. We work up quite the appetite! Easy tasty delious!

      Reply
    5. Amy

      August 20, 2017 at 10:59 am

      Can I make ahead of time and refrig

      Reply
      • DrDan

        August 20, 2017 at 11:07 am

        Yes for a day or two. Of course, the tomatoes will deteriorate some with time.

        But add the basil just before serving.

    6. Kim

      June 25, 2017 at 12:38 pm

      I added shredded chicken & instead of red pepper flakes - I had none - I added epicure sundries tomatoes herbs (1 tap). Delicious!!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 25, 2017 at 12:42 pm

        Hi Kim,
        Last time I made this, I added left over rotisserie chicken also. It makes it a complete lunch for us.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    7. Handy Gilbert

      October 10, 2013 at 9:20 pm

      This sounds delicious! The dressing gives a nice little extra touch to the fruit. I have always made my fruit salad plain, I am definitely going to try it.

      Reply
    8. Chris

      August 11, 2013 at 1:18 pm

      Great pasta dish, I like the use of pepper flake, even in small quantities it brings a lot of flavor.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell

        August 18, 2013 at 3:48 pm

        I know some will skip it but really folks, the other tastes will just pop with it.

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