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Home » Blog » Recipes » Salads

Best Caprese Pasta Salad (Fresh and Easy)

by Donya Mullins 30 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

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This post may contain affiliate links.

This fresh and easy salad combines all the classic flavors of a Caprese Salad with pasta! Perfect as a simple family side dish or when feeding a crowd this make-ahead recipe for the best Caprese Pasta Salad delivers a burst of flavor everyone will love.

Ripe tomatoes and mozzarella pearls make the Best Caprese Pasta Salad.
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Pasta salad is something that everyone loves! It doesn’t matter whether you serve as a side dish, take it with you on a picnic, or share it a potluck or covered dish supper, it’s always one of the first foods to disappear.

Recently, I decided to give one of my most popular recipes on A Southern Soul twist. I’ve taken my Simple Caprese Salad recipe and turned it into a pasta salad. The result? Outstanding!

This pasta salad is

  • simple to make with just 5 ingredients.
  • made with fresh tomatoes and basil giving a pop of summertime flavor.
  • a make-ahead recipe saving you time when you need to get a meal on the table.
  • great for feeding a crowd.
  • so versatile since you can change it up with added ingredients.
  • simply the BEST!
Fresh ingredients make Caprese Pasta Salad with a light dressing easy to make.

Ingredients For This Recipe

  • Grape Tomatoes – sliced in half or quartered
  • Mozzarella Pearls – small balls of cheese found at the deli counter
  • Fresh Basil – sliced into ribbons
  • Pasta – you can use any shape you like
  • Homemade Vinaigrette – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper

What Is A Caprese Salad?

A classic Caprese Salad, also known as Insalata Caprese, is an Italian salad most often served in the summer. It’s made with ripe tomatoes layered between slices of fresh mozzarella, basil leaves then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s light, refreshing, and totally delicious.

Balsamic herb dressing poured over fresh ingredients make Caprese Pasta Salad so delicious.

Can Caprese Pasta Salad Be Made Ahead Of Time?

You bet. I like to make the salad the night before I’ll be serving it. I drizzle on about ¾ of the dressing, toss all the ingredients together then store the pasta salad and remaining dressing in an airtight container in the fridge. Before serving, I let the salad sit on the counter for about 10 to 15 minutes to come to room temperature. I drizzle on the remaining dressing, toss and serve.

Easy to make Caprese Pasta Salad has fresh tomatoes and basil in a light dressing.

How To Serve This Salad

Caprese Pasta Salad is best served at room temperature. It makes a great side dish to serve with so many other recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:

  • alongside Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Balsamic Chicken Thighs, or Marinated London Broil.
  • as a light lunch with Roasted Garlic Tomato Soul.
  • for game day with Air Fryer Chicken Wings.
  • at a summer cookout with Grilled Sausages and hot dogs and burgers with Home Run Hot Dog Chili.
A bowl full of the best Caprese Pasta salad is fresh and easy to make.

Want To Change Things Up?

This salad lends itself perfectly to all kinds of yummy additions.

  • add avocado, sliced peppers, or onions.
  • toss in leftover chicken for a salad main dish.
  • tuna makes a great add-in along with some black or green olives.

How To Store Caprese Pasta Salad

If you’re lucky enough to have some of this salad leftover, you can store in overed in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Caprese Pasta Salad is the perfect salad or side dish and is fresh and easy to make.

More Great Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!

  • Mediterranean Pasta Salad
  • Creamy Tomato Cucumber Pasta Salad
  • Lemony Asparagus and Pea Pasta Salad
  • Broccoli Pasta Salad
  • Italian Pasta Salad
  • Macaroni Salad For A Crown
A bowl full of the best Caprese Pasta salad is fresh and easy to make.
5 from 8 votes

Best Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe

Author: Donya Mullins
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Print Pin Rate
This fresh and easy salad combines all the classic flavors of a Caprese Salad with pasta! Perfect for a simple family meal or when feeding a crowd this make-ahead recipe for the best Caprese Pasta Salad delivers a burst of flavor everyone will love.

Equipment

  • Strainer

Ingredients

Vinaigrette Dressing

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 -3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Caprese Pasta Salad

  • ½ pound dried pasta (farfalle or other small pasta works best)
  • 8 ounces mozzarella pearls (or cubed fresh mozzarella)
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • To a small bowl or jar with a lid, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake until all ingredients are incorporated. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  • To a large bowl add cooked pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and basil. Drizzle with vinaigrette dressing and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Notes

To make ahead, drizzle on ¾ of dressing, toss, cover, and store the pasta salad and remaining dressing in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Uncover, drizzle with dressing, toss and serve.
A bowl full of the best Caprese Pasta salad is fresh and easy to make.
Did you make my Best Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe?I’d love to see! Share on Instagram, tag @asouthernsoul, and use the hashtag #asouthernsoul!
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The Best Caprese Pasta Salad is fresh and easy to make.
Donya with A Southern Soul

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Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Michelle Renick

    March 19, 2023 at 3:48 am

    I just made this as a side for at bridal shower. Doubled the recipe, and ran out! One I will make again!!!

    Reply
    • Donya Mullins

      March 20, 2023 at 9:35 am

      Thank you, Michelle. I am so glad everyone loved the recipe. I so appreciate the outstanding rating!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  2. marilyn

    October 10, 2022 at 5:21 pm

    OMG EXCELLENT!!! I made this for a group of women at a retreat & it was a hit! I made the pasta and added the cheese, tomatoes, onions to get cold. When time to serve I added the dressing! I used white wine vinegar.

    Reply
    • Donya

      October 11, 2022 at 8:14 am

      Hey there Marilyn!
      Wow! I am thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, it sounds like you made an absolutely delicious dish! If you enjoyed this pasta salad, you should check out my Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad, it’s a twist on the classic recipe and it’s super tasty. Let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be more than happy to help!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  3. Ashley

    October 10, 2022 at 3:10 pm

    If I am using store bought dressing, how much do you think I will need?

    Reply
    • Donya

      October 11, 2022 at 8:12 am

      Hey the Ashley!
      Thank you so much for your interest in this pasta salad recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! If you’re using a store-bought dressing, you’ll probably need about 1/2 cup to properly coat all the ingredients in the salad. My recommendation would be to measure out 1/2 cup, pour it in slowly continuing to mix, and then add more dressing until you have the amount you desire. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  4. Mary

    July 20, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    Can you substitute white wine vinegar for the balsalmic vinegar?

    If so, how much should I use?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 21, 2022 at 8:20 am

      Hey there Mary!
      Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! I would actually recommend using red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar, I think the red wine vinegar would have a more subtle flavor that would compliment the other ingredients well. You can use the same amount of red wine vinegar that is stated in the recipe, about 1/4 cup. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  5. Peggy Brown

    July 2, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    I just made your Caprese Pasta Salad for tomorrow night’s grilled chicken dinner. Two of my local grocery stores didn’t have the mozzarella pearls so I bought an 8 ounce ball and sliced it into about the same size cubes as the pearls. Another thing I did was to put the dressing ingredients in my small food processor and whip it up. Seemed to work. And I am totally going to try another commenter’s idea about the toasted pine nuts. Thanks for sharing this yummy pasta salad recipe, Donya!

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 3, 2022 at 10:03 am

      Hey there Peggy!
      My goodness, thank you so much for your kind words of support, I am thrilled to hear that you gave this recipe a try! It sounds like you made an absolutely delicious salad, you were spot on using sliced mozzarella instead of pearls, if you can’t find the pearls that is the next best thing. If you liked this recipe, you should check out my new Strawberry Caprese Pasta Salad recipe, it’s just as easy to make and the flavors have a delicious sweet and savory contrast. Thank you so much for your support, if you ever have any questions about a dish, feel free to reach out!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  6. Cathy

    May 30, 2022 at 2:36 pm

    I made it today! I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Donya

      May 31, 2022 at 8:22 am

      Hey there Cathy!
      Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I really hope you enjoyed the recipe! This pasta salad makes a terrific side dish for so many different occasions. I really appreciate your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to ask!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  7. Heather

    May 28, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    Made this for a neighborhood Memorial Day kickoff and it was a huge hit!! I doubled the recipe and had some garlic infused olive oil. So I used 1/4 c. olive oil and 1/4 c. garlic olive oil. Everyone loved it! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Donya

      May 29, 2022 at 9:24 am

      Hey there Heather!
      Wow! I am so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, adding in garlic infused olive sounds absolutely delicious, I’ll have to try that! Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating, I really appreciate your support!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  8. Jackie

    May 23, 2022 at 1:29 pm

    This takes my husband’s favorite salad to new heights! We both love this!

    Reply
    • Donya

      May 23, 2022 at 2:15 pm

      Hey there Jackie!
      My goodness, I am thrilled to hear that y’all enjoyed this recipe! I’ve always been a huge caprese fan as well, and I completely agree that adding pasta just takes it to a whole new level. If you liked this pasta salad, you should check out my Mediterranean Pasta Salad, it’s just as easy to make and it’s burst with bright fresh flavors. Thank you so much for your kind words and phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  9. Michelle

    April 29, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    I just made this pasta salad for the first time and it’s delicious! One quick question: did you use white balsamic vinegar? I used regular, and love the taste but the pasta looks a bit brownish.

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 30, 2022 at 9:38 am

      Hey there Michelle!
      I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, it’s a perfect dish for this time of year! I usually use regular balsamic vinegar, it does change the color of the pasta a bit but it has a terrific flavor. That being said, if you want to use white balsamic so that the pasta doesn’t change color you definitely should, make the recipe your own, white balsamic would still taste delicious it’s really up to you. I hope this is helpful, thank you so much for your kind words! If you ever have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  10. Jess

    August 25, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    I’m loving this recipe and saw it serves 6. I need a salad for 60ppl for a wedding rehearsal dinner this weekend. Thoughts? Do I really need to multiply this recipe 10x?

    Reply
    • Donya

      August 26, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      Hey there Jess!
      Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think it would be perfect to serve to a crowd! I don’t think you need to multiply the recipe by 10, a “serving” looks different to different people, and usually when it’s a small group people serve themselves more. I would quadruple the recipe if I were you, I think 3 or 4 full bowls of this salad would feed 60 people. I hope this helps, thank you so much for your support!
      Best,
      ~Donya

      Reply
  11. Mari-Ann L

    July 17, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    OOOOH my gosh. My family loves Caprese salad and this looked interesting. Tried it to and it’s definitely a five star recipe. Everything about it was amazing. My entire family, including grandkids LOVED it. Made it exactly as written.
    Dayna, I will be trying a lot more of your recipes!
    THANK YOU!!

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 18, 2021 at 4:19 pm

      Hey there Mari-Ann!
      Wow! It truly warms my heart to read such a sweet comment like this one. I am absolutely thrilled to hear y’all enjoyed this recipe, it’s definitely a favorite in my house too. Thank you so much for your phenomenal rating, if you ever have any questions about my recipes just leave me a comment, I’ll be happy to answer! Thank you for your support!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  12. Sharon

    July 17, 2021 at 11:26 am

    Can you make it the day before serving?

    Reply
    • Donya

      July 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm

      Hey there!
      That’s a great question! Yes ma’am you sure can, I would just make sure to refrigerate it in an airtight container overnight. In my opinion, this salad is best served cold anyway, so making it the night before you serve it is a great idea! I hope you enjoy, thank you for your support!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  13. Diane

    April 3, 2021 at 3:01 pm

    So good!!
    So, I didnt have enough mozz balls but added blue cheese crumbles to help with the cheese ratio. Yum! I might also add toasted pine nuts next time for a crunch. But amazing recipe- thank you.

    Reply
    • Donya

      April 5, 2021 at 8:42 am

      Hey Diane!
      I am so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for your rating! Toasting the pine nuts sounds so good, I will have to try that. Thank you for your support, I hope you have a great day!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  14. Diane Knudson

    March 28, 2021 at 11:35 am

    Love the Caprese Salad, this will be my go to for the summer.
    Diane

    Reply
    • Donya

      March 28, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      Hey Diane!
      Thank you so much for your fantastic rating and comment! I’m thrilled you like the salad, I agree that its a perfect fresh salad for this summer. I hope you enjoy!
      ~Donya

      Reply
  15. Judy

    March 26, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    I love your caprese salad and now I can’t wait to make this one. I’m heading to the store for the ingredients, now!

    Reply
    • Donya

      March 27, 2021 at 7:35 am

      Hey Judy!
      Thank you so much for your terrific rating and lovely comment! I am so glad you’re liking this Caprese Pasta salad, its one of my favorite flavor combinations. Let me know how it turned out! Have a great day!
      ~Donya

      Reply

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Donya with A Southern Soul

Meet A Southern Soul

Hey, there! I’m Donya and welcome to A Southern Soul. I love to cook and entertain with easy to make recipes and simple ideas that make people feel special. Read More

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