Caprese Pasta Salad


This salad.  Oh, this glorious salad.  Can I tell you how good it is?


My favorite salad quite possibly is a Caprese salad.  I love it all year long, but especially in the summer with fresh tomatoes from the garden or the farmers market.  

I love the simplicity of a Caprese salad and how the flavors blend together so nicely.  Fresh juicy tomatoes with creamy mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar.   It just can’t get much better than that.  

Since I frequently make a Caprese salad, usually on a bed of peppery arugula or if you recall last year when I created it with peaches in my Peach Caprese Salad.  The pasta lover in me thought how wonderful it would be tossed as a pasta salad.  

Friends, this is some good stuff.

You get all the components of a fresh Caprese salad tossed with pasta in a balsamic reduction and olive oil dressing.

I could eat this entire pasta dish.  

Actually, I almost did.  

If you are trying to stay away from thick, mayonnaise based pasta and potato salad than this is a fresh and crowd pleasing pasta salad.  Serves well at any gathering, a picnic in the park or just to grab a fork and nibble on it right out of the bowl which I like to do.  




Caprese Pasta Salad


Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 pound penne pasta, cooked al dente
8 ounces fresh Ciliegine (cherry size) mozzarella balls, cut into wedges
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and simmer until liquid reduces to half, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat to cool.

In a large bowl combine pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, garlic.  Drizzle balsamic reduction and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on toss and gently toss until thoroughly combined.

Season with salt and pepper.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Before serving toss with remaining extra virgin olive oil.  

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10 Comments

  1. Like you, I’m a huge fan of caprese salads as well…what a wonderful idea turning it into a pasta salad! This is great for having a lot of company over for the 4th or any bbq. I’m going to check out your peach caprese, too…that sounds off the charts awesome!

  2. I added about 2 tsps Vegenaise to the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salt / pepper/garlic to emulsify it . SO good!!!

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