This Easy Caprese Pasta Salad is loaded with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, fresh basil, cucumbers, and a delicious homemade herb vinaigrette. The perfect make-ahead summer side dish for BBQs, lunches and meal prep!
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If you are looking for the ultimate summer pasta salad, this Easy Caprese Pasta Salad is one recipe you’ll find yourself making on repeat! This pasta salad is loaded with all the caprese classics like juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella pearls, crisp cucumbers, fresh basil, and tender bow tie pasta, all tossed in a homemade herb vinaigrette that’s bright, tangy, and bursting with flavor. Serve this up at BBQs, as a potluck side dish, or simply meal prep it for lunches for the week, you’ll be making this pasta salad all summer long!
Why You’ll Love This
Easy to make – made with simple pantry staples and fresh ingredients, this recipe comes together with very little hands-on time, making it ideal for both everyday meals and to share with a crowd.
Customizable – add grilled chicken, shrimp, salami, chickpeas, or your favorite vegetables to turn this side dish into a hearty main course.
Great for meal prep – this pasta salad stores beautifully in the refrigerator, and the flavors continue to develop as it chills, making leftovers just as delicious the next day.
Perfect for summer – whether hosting a backyard BBQ, packing a picnic or serving dinner on the patio, this pasta salad pairs perfectly with just about any grilled meal.
Caprese Pasta Salad Ingredients
pasta – bow tie pasta is perfect because the ridges and folds hold onto the dressing beautifully. It also gives the salad great texture and presentation. You can also rotini pasta, fusilli, or any other corkscrew type of short pasta.
cucumbers – mini cucumbers add a refreshing crunch without becoming watery. Their thinner skin means there’s no need to peel them. You can also use English cucumbers.
cherry tomatoes – sweet, juicy tomatoes are one of the stars of this salad. Cherry or grape tomatoes both work wonderfully.
mozzarella – creamy mozzarella pearls add the classic Caprese flavor and pair perfectly with the tomatoes and basil. You could also use mozzarella balls (ciliegine) and just cut them in half.
fresh basil – this is absolutely essential in this recipe and brings bright, aromatic flavor that dried basil simply can’t replace.
homemade herb dressing – made with a combination of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, regular balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the bow tie pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking while keeping the pasta slightly warm.
Make the dressing. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dijon mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and fully emulsified.
Let the pasta absorb the dressing. Transfer the warm pasta to a large bowl. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the warm pasta and toss until evenly coated. Allow the pasta to sit for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. This lets the pasta soak up all of the incredible flavor instead of having the dressing pool at the bottom of the bowl.
Add the fresh ingredients. Once the pasta cools, gently fold in the cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls and fresh chopped basil. Pour the remaining dressing over everything and toss gently until evenly coated.
Chill and serve. Serve immediately or refrigerate for another 30 minutes before serving for even better flavor. Just before serving, garnish the cold pasta salad with extra basil leaves and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tips for the Best Caprese Pasta Salad
Salt the pasta water – well-seasoned pasta makes a huge difference in the overall flavor of this salad so generously salt the water before boiling.
Don’t overcook the pasta – cook the pasta just until al dente, meaning it’s tender but still has a slight bite. Since the pasta continues to soften slightly as it absorbs the dressing, overcooked pasta can become mushy after chilling.
Let the warm pasta soak up the dressing – after draining, toss the warm pasta with two-thirds of the dressing and let it sit for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the pasta absorbs all of those delicious garlic and herb flavors instead of leaving the dressing sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
Pat the mozzarella dry – fresh mozzarella pearls are often packed in water, which can dilute the dressing if added straight from the container. Drain them well and gently pat them dry with paper towels before adding them to the salad.
Wait to add fresh ingredients – mix the cucumbers, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil into the salad only after the pasta has had time to absorb the dressing and cool down. This helps keep the vegetables crisp, the cheese creamy, and the basil bright and fresh.
Chill before serving – although you can serve this salad right away as a hot pasta dish, letting it chill for at least 30 minutes allows all of the flavors to meld together. It’s even better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
Variations and Substitutions
Make it gluten-free – simply swap in your favorite gluten-free bow tie pasta or other type of pasta.
Add protein – turn this into a complete mea by adding in grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, chickpeas or white beans.
Add more veggies – try mixing in some fresh baby spinach, arugula, red onion, roasted red peppers, avocado, fresh corn, artichoke hearts or kalamata olives.
Switch the cheese – instead of mozzarella pearls, try swapping with burrata (served on top), crumbled feta, fresh bocconcini or parmesan shavings.
Add more herbs – fresh parsley, oregano or thyme all compliment the fresh basil beautifully.
Switch up the dressing – swap out this herb vinaigrette for this delicious balsamic dressing. Feel free to check out all my salad dressings for more ideas!
Prepping and Storage Tips
Make Ahead – this salad is perfect for preparing a day in advance. If making ahead, prepare the dressing up to 5 days ahead stored in a mason jar, cook the pasta one day ahead, chop the vegetables the morning of serving and stir everything together shortly before serving for the freshest texture.
To Store – store leftovers in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors continue to develop as the salad sits, making it even more delicious the next day.
Refresh leftovers – as the pasta chills, it naturally absorbs the dressing. If the salad seems dry after refrigeration, simply drizzle with a little olive oil or a splash of apple cider vinegar and toss before serving. You could also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice as well.
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More Pasta Salads
Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad
More Caprese Recipes
Marinated Summer Caprese Salad
Caprese Chicken and Quinoa Casserole
Caprese Skewers with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze
Hope you all enjoy this Easy Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe! If you love this recipe as much as we do, please leave a star rating below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny!
Easy Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil1/3 cup apple cider vinegar1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar2 garlic cloves minced1 Tbsp Dijon mustard1 Tbsp honey2 tsp Italian seasoning1 tsp salt1/2 tsp black pepper