I stole this recipe for Caprese Pasta Salad from pipandebby.com. This simple to make pasta salad is great for the summer. Cooked rotoni pasta is mixed with halved grape tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. A dressing is made with pesto, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. The dressing is stirred with the pasta mixture and chilled until ready to serve. This pasta salad can be a weeknight meal or a quick side dish.
“Not only are pasta dishes delicious, but they are also great, easy options for a quick dinner during a busy weekday.” – Marcus Samuelsson, chef and restaurateur (see more quotes in the Quotes tab)
Cook and drain 16 oz box Rotini pasta (I like using the tri-color pasta).
Halve the tomatoes from an 8 oz container grape or cherry tomatoes.
Add to a large bowl with an 8 oz package mozzarella cheese pearls (if you can’t find pearls, you can cut the mozzarella to size yourself).
Mix together ½ cup chopped basil, ¼ cup pesto, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Add pasta to the bowl with the tomatoes and cheese, pour the dressing on top.
Stir everything together.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz box Rotini pasta cooked and drained
- 8 oz container grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 oz package mozzarella cheese pearls
- ½ cup chopped basil
- ¼ cup pesto
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
I mix the pesto, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper together in a small bowl before pouring over the pasta. Using tri-color rotini adds nice color and more vegetables to the salad.