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Caprese pasta salad pairs al dente pasta with juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, all kissed by a balsamic drizzle. Every bite bursts with vibrant, fresh flavor!
Why I Love This Caprese Pasta Salad
Some of the best flavors of summer are encapsulated in a Caprese salad: tomatoes and sweet basil. While a traditional recipe for a Caprese salad also includes slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, it’s all about simplicity, and I think that’s what makes everyone love it so much! You aren’t hiding behind lots of flavors, but instead highlighting the true depth of each ingredient.
But during the summer, we also love a good pasta salad recipe. So I knew that I had to combine the two into an amazing Caprese version that’s fuss-free and easy to make.
This Caprese pasta salad is bright, vegetarian, and nutrient-rich, offering a super satisfying spin on the traditional recipe. It truly is a celebration of summer’s bounty!
Caprese Pasta Salad Ingredients
The ingredients in this Caprese pasta salad highlight some of the best flavors of the summer season:
- Pasta, specifically fusilli pasta in this recipe, provides the perfect base for this salad. A corkscrew-style pasta is recommended so that the maximum amount of vinaigrette will cling to each piece, resulting in tons of flavor in each bite.
- Cherry tomatoes are in season during the summer, so they’re the perfect addition to this pasta salad. If you have large cherry tomatoes, simply slice them in half before adding them to the dish.
- Fresh mozzarella is torn into pieces and tossed with the pasta. Part of a traditional Caprese salad, the mozzarella adds a pleasant, hearty texture to the recipe.
- Marinated olives add a bit of additional texture to the pasta salad. While not traditional, I love the brininess they add!
- Fresh basil is essential to any Caprese recipe!
- Dijon mustard helps to emulsify the vinaigrette. It’s what I always call the “secret sauce” for any dressing.
- Red wine vinegar has a bit of fruity flavor while adding the acidity needed for this vinaigrette.
- White balsamic vinegar aims to keep some of the traditional flavors of a Caprese salad in this recipe. A lot of times, balsamic vinegar is drizzled across the top of a Caprese salad, so to mirror this, but keep the dressing lighter in color and flavor, a white balsamic is used.
- Olive oil is very traditional for a Caprese salad, but it’s used in the vinaigrette in this recipe.
- Granulated sugar adds just a bit of sweetness. Trust me, it’s nice!
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
There are three very simple steps to prepare this Caprese pasta salad:
Step 1: Prepare the vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, white balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix until combined and set aside.
Step 2: Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella cheese.
Step 3: Finish assembling. Add the vinaigrette on top of the pasta and toss to combine. Tear fresh basil on top and serve.
Serving and Storage
To serve: This Caprese pasta salad pairs so well with any summer main dish! It’s a perfect side dish to burgers, grilled chicken, or steak. Make sure to serve it for any big summertime holiday, such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or Labor Day!
To store: Any leftovers of this pasta salad will last for 5 to 7 days in the fridge. But the fresh basil that was added as the last step will wilt as the salad sits. Additionally, the pasta will continue to soak up the vinaigrette, which will make the salad appear drier than when fresh. To refresh it, you could mix up a half batch of the vinaigrette, pour it on top, and toss to combine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! The small mozzarella balls found in the cheese section of a grocery store work really well. At times, I like to control the size of my pieces of mozzarella, and I like the irregular texture of torn fresh mozzarella, so I opt for a hunk of mozzarella, but both work.
Sure! You could add sliced grilled chicken to the recipe, cooked ground Italian sausage, pieces of crumbled bacon, or prosciutto. The options are endless!
Yes, you can easily swap the cherry tomatoes for grape tomatoes. No problem!
There are so many different pasta shapes available, but I like one that has a lot of intricate surface area. You can opt for your favorite shape or what you have on hand, but I find that fusilli (or rotini) allows the vinaigrette to cling well to the pasta. I originally developed the recipe for penne, but after additional testing, I found that a more complex pasta works best.
I recommend it! Personally, I always feel that pasta salads are best when made and dressed a few hours prior to serving, just to let the flavors marinate. Reserve the basil leaves until right before you are ready to serve, so they don’t turn brown.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
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Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta salad
- 1 lb fusilli (or any corkscrew-shaped pasta) cooked and chilled
- 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes sliced (if large)
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella torn or diced into chunks
- 1 cup marinated Greek olives pitted and torn or sliced
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves torn
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing. Combine the olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, minced garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, sugar, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.⅓ cup olive oil, ⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Assemble the salad. To the chilled pasta in a bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, olives, and mozzarella cheese.1-2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 lb fresh mozzarella, 1 cup marinated Greek olives, 1 lb fusilli (or any corkscrew-shaped pasta)
- Finish assembly. Pour the dressing on top of the pasta. Stir to combine. Top with the torn basil leaves right before serving.1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
Nutrition
Stylist: Addelyn Evans / Photography: Dera Burreson
