This Caprese Pasta Salad is a tasty big brother to the OG Caprese salad. I’ve just loaded it with al dente pasta which gets coated in that delicious herbaceous pesto dressing, bite size pieces of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella. I love serving this dish throughout the year. Some days I serve it with a crispy chicken schnitzel and cold glass of white wine – yum!
The caprese salad is a classic Italian dish that has gained popularity all over the world. The Caprese Pasta Salad is made with fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella slices, basil, olive oil, salt, pepper, and is traditionally placed on a plate in a layered circular pattern. You might notice something about the colors of these ingredients… that’s right, the three main ingredients are the colors of the Italian flag. The red of the tomato, the green of the basil, and the white of the cheese are meant to represent the flag of Italy. Not only do these ingredients represent the colors of Italy, but they are traditional food products of Italy as well.
In the 1920’s, right after the close of World War I, a particularly patriotic stone worker wanted to create a dish that was a tribute to his beloved country. He did this by creating the Caprese Pasta Salad; The red, green, and white dish perfectly represented Italy. There was a very positive response after its creation, but the dish really gained popularity in the 1950s. The salad quickly became a staple of Capri food that tourists from all over the world loved.
overview
preparation
There is very little to prepare besides assembling all the ingredients, slicing the tomatoes and mozzarella and making sure the pasta is cooked till al dente (not overcooked) and cooled. You don’t want to mix the cold ingredients with warm pasta. It must be fully cooled.
time:
The pasta takes about 30 minutes to assemble, mostly because you’re waiting for the pasta to cool down. I prepare the pasta salad about 30 minutes prior to serving. But take note, pasta salad tend to soak up more liquid the longer they stand and the rocket will also start to wilt. So I personally add the dressing 30 minutes before serving and then mix in the rocket and drizzle over the balsamic reduction just before serving.
perfect for:
Anyone who loves cheese, tomatoes, basil pesto, rocket and pasta of course. You can also add your protein of choice and you’ve got a well balanced meal for yourself.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 250 grams fusilli or pasta of choice
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes halved
- 200 grams mozzarella cubed
- 20 grams rocket see note 1
Dressing
- 4 tbsp basil pesto see note 2
- ¼ cup olive oil high quality
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove optional
- salt to taste
- balsamic reduction garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook just until al dente. Drain in a colander and drizzle over 1 tsp olive, mix until all the pasta has been coated. Set aside to cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, cut the mozzarella into cubes or drain the liquid if you're using mozzarella balls and cut in half. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half as well. Add the cooled pasta, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella balls to a large bowl.
- In a mason jar or to a blender, add basil pesto, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, fresh garlic, and salt together. Mix well then drizzle over the pasta. Toss to coat and taste for seasoning. Prior to serving, drizzle over the balsamic reduction.
Video
Notes
- Rocket: the rocket wilts quite quickly so I'd recommend you add just before serving.
- Basi Pesto: whether you use store bought or homemade pesto, make sure it doesn't already have garlic added. If so, refrain from adding the additional clove of garlic as too much garlic will overpower the dressing.