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Summer Caprese Pasta Salad

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Fresh fusilli tossed with jammy burst cherry tomatoes, tender mozzarella pearls, fragrant basil and a splash of balsamic for an easy, picnic-perfect summer meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 oz (about 2 cups) whole-grain fusilli or rotini pasta
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 8 oz mozzarella pearls (or 1 mozzarella ball, torn)
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (≈ 6 large leaves)
  • 2–3 tsp white or regular balsamic vinegar, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente (about 8–10 min). Drain well.
  2. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil, tomatoes and salt in a covered skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until most tomatoes burst and release their juices, 6–12 min.
  3. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the drained pasta. Let cool about 5 min so the cheese won’t melt on contact.
  4. Stir in mozzarella and basil, then drizzle with balsamic. Toss to coat and season with extra salt, pepper or vinegar to taste.
  5. Let the salad rest 20 min so the pasta absorbs some sauce, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Serve warm, room-temperature or chilled.

Notes

  • Use gluten-free pasta to keep the dish gluten-free.
  • Omit mozzarella or use a dairy-free alternative for a vegan version.
  • White balsamic keeps colors bright; regular balsamic tastes great, too.
  • Add a minced garlic clove with the tomatoes for extra depth.
  • To feed a crowd, scale up to 8 oz pasta and 3 pints tomatoes, adding basil and vinegar to taste.

Nutrition

Keywords: Caprese, pasta salad, summer, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, basil

Find it online: https://zesticook.com/summer-caprese-pasta-salad/