My crowd-pleasing Italian Caprese Pasta Salad combines classic Caprese salad ingredients like juicy cherry tomatoes, tender mozzarella, and fresh basil with Fusilli pasta and my irresistible garlic lemon vinaigrette dressing. It wows at a cookout, potluck, or as the perfect lunch to pack in a lunchbox.
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Caprese Pasta Salad Video
Inspired by my fan-favorite Caprese Salad, Caprese Skewers, and Italian Pasta Salad Recipe, my Caprese pasta salad recipe makes a heaping bowl, so it’s perfect to share! This caprese pasta salad recipe is great all on its own, but feel free to add your favorite vegetables and proteins to make it your own.
Easy Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
My husband is quite the gardener, and I love using the fruits of his labor to make delicious meals. Homegrown tomatoes always taste better, and this caprese pasta salad puts them on full display, similar to my Tomato Burrata Salad and Bruschetta Recipe.
This Italian pasta salad is also one of my favorite dishes to bring to a potluck since it feeds a crowd, travels well, and stays fresh in the fridge for a few days.
Ingredients for Caprese Pasta Salad
This caprese pasta salad is simple, so it’s a great recipe to make your own.
- Pasta – I prefer fusilli and Bronze-cut pasta because the rough edges help to hold the dressing. Cook until al dente (a touch firm), so the pasta holds up in the salad.
- Mozzarella balls – pearls or bocconcini. You could use larger balls and cut them in half, or chop a large piece of fresh mozzarella.
- Tomatoes – cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half. You can also use chopped fresh tomatoes, but be sure to drain them.
- Basil – use fresh basil in the salad and as a garnish, since dried basil can’t give the same flavor and aroma
- Balsamic glaze – a game-changer for serving that adds an extra layer of tangy flavor
- Caprese Salad Dressing – Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic clove
What’s the best pasta for pasta salad?
Spiral pasta like fusilli or rotini hold on to the dressing and are bite-sized. For a fun shape, try cavatappi, bowties, or orecchiette.
Substitutions/ Variations
Customize this caprese pasta salad recipe by adding cheese, protein, and veggies to fit your tastes. Here are a few ideas:
- Cheese – use any kind of mozzarella (even marinated), or use shaved or shredded parmesan (it’s saltier, so add salt to taste).
- Cured Meats – slice salami, pepperoni, or prosciutto into ribbons and add for a salty bite.
- Onion – finely chopped red onion adds an extra layer of flavor
- Olives – add black or green olives or a mix of both. Halve or dice them.
- Veggies – add chopped green peppers, cucumber, or colorful tomatoes
How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
My caprese pasta salad recipe comes together quickly and tastes even better if you allow the flavors to meld for 20 minutes.
- Make the dressing – Shake the caprese pasta salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar or whisk in a small bowl until emulsified (mixed).
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
For the best flavor in your pasta salad, make sure you salt your pasta cooking water. As a general rule, add enough salt until it tastes like ocean water. This will season your pasta from the inside out.
- Cook pasta – Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and then cook pasta until just al dente. Rinse to stop the cooking process and toss with a little olive oil.
- Prep veggies – cut veggies and place into a serving bowl with the mozzarella balls. Add cooled pasta.
- Add dressing – when ready to serve, toss the dressing with the veggies and cheese.
- Garnish and Serve – serve right away, or allow the salad to meld for 20 minutes for the best flavor. Add the basil and drizzle with Balsamic glaze just before serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Caprese pasta salad keeps well in the refrigerator, so leftovers are perfect for meal prep. My son ate it up the next day after the flavors had a chance to meld, and he loved it.
- Make-Ahead: Store the salad and dressing separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, combine with the dressing and add freshly chopped basil.
- Refrigerate the dressed salad in an airtight container for 2 days. Drizzle with extra balsamic just before serving.
- Freezing: The veggies don’t thaw well, so it’s not great for freezing.
What to Serve with Caprese Pasta Salad
For lunch or a light meal, serve this pasta salad with a piece of Crusty French Bread or Sourdough Bread, or pair it with just about any protein. Here are some of my favorites:
- Chicken Kiev
- Lemon Chicken
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Meatloaf
- Roasted Beef Tenderloin
- Prime Rib
- Pan-seared Steak
Make this beautiful Caprese pasta salad for your next cookout or as meal prep for lunches. It’s full of fresh ingredients tossed in an easy Italian pasta dressing, so it’s a crowd-pleasing salad that goes with nearly any protein. Add this to your go-to recipes!
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Caprese Dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, or to taste and for salting pasta water
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
For the Caprese Pasta Salad:
- 8 oz fusilli pasta , penne, or orecchiette (see options below), preferably bronze-cut pasta
- 8 oz small mozzarella balls, mozzarella pearls or bocconcini – cut larger balls in half
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more to garnish
- Balsamic glaze, to garnish and drizzle just before serving
Instructions
- Make the dressing – in a measuring cup or mason jar, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and oregano and whisk until emulsified, or cover and shake thoroughly if using a mason jar. Set aside for the flavors to meld.
- Cook pasta – Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then moderately salt the water (for cold pasta salads, salt slightly less than sea water since cold pasta dishes amplify salt more than warm ones). Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente (firm to the bite) so it doesn’t get mushy. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well and toss lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Prep veggies – while the pasta cooks, you can prep your veggies. In a large mixing bowl, add halved tomatoes and mozzarella balls. Add the cooled pasta.
- Add dressing – pour dressing over your salad ingredients and toss to coat. If making ahead, keep the salad and dressing separate until ready to serve (see tips below).
- Rest and serve – You can serve right away, but for the best flavor, let the salad rest for 20-30 minutes before serving for the flavors to meld. Stir in the basil just before serving, then drizzle lightly with balsamic glaze to serve.
Notes
- Cheese – use chopped mozzarella or even marinated mozzarella balls, or swap with shaved or shredded parmesan, adjusting the salt
- Meat – include chopped pepperoni, salami, or prosciutto
- Veggies – add your favorite fresh vegetables, like red onion, green peppers, cucumbers, or colorful tomatoes, or add black or green olives
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Salad Recipes
Salads like my Caprese Pasta Salad are great for showing off seasonal veggies and fruit. Try these easy salad recipes for fresh flavor all year round.
- Greek Salad Recipe
- Maroulosalata
- Persimmon Salad
- Strawberry Salad
- Beet Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Mozzarella Salad
