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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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Equipment
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
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I’m guessing you used white balsamic? I didn’t think about it until I added the dressing and it looks nothing like the picture. Tastes good but definitely brown.🥴
Absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it and the homemade dressing with lemon was a nice touch!
Thanks so much, Cathy!
~Donya
I have lost count of how many times I’ve made this delicious Caprese pasta salad. It’s absolutely amazing, light and refreshing in the summer but wonderful all year long. My family and friends LOVE it. Thank you for sharing all your great recipes Donya!!
Thank you, Mari-Ann! I’m so happy you are a part of the Southern Soul family.
~Donya
I’ve made this recipe probably 5 times now! It’s always a hit! I like making it the night before so the dressing soaks in and gets really flavorful
You are my favorite, Katie! Thank you so much and I appreciate your sweet words and the terrific rating.
~Donya
Made this the other day and it was delicious 10 out of 10. Saving the receipt and making it again.
Making this, this weekend. What brand balsamic vinegar is best? I never used that before and there’s so many brands I’m not sure what is best. Thank you
I use one that’s kind of in the middle of the road with price, that is true balsamic vinegar, not processed in mass. Thank you for the outstanding rating.
~Donya
I just made this as a side for at bridal shower. Doubled the recipe, and ran out! One I will make again!!!
Thank you, Michelle. I am so glad everyone loved the recipe. I so appreciate the outstanding rating!
~Donya
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.
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
If I am using store bought dressing, how much do you think I will need?
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
I just made this salad but it tastes a little tart. Home can i sweeten?
Can you substitute white wine vinegar for the balsalmic vinegar?
If so, how much should I use?
Thank you
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
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!
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
I made it today! I can’t wait to try it.
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
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!
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
This takes my husband’s favorite salad to new heights! We both love this!
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
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.
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
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?
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
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!!
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
Can you make it the day before serving?
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
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.
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
Love the Caprese Salad, this will be my go to for the summer.
Diane
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
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!
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