Caprese Pasta Salad

5 from 106 votes

This ultimate caprese pasta salad is made with chunks of pearl mozzarella, juicy grape tomatoes and tossed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette!

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 334kcal

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add the mozzarella, tomatoes and basil on top.
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper until emulsified. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss gently to combine.
Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

The original recipe used my walnut pesto instead of balsamic viniagrette. Here is the recipe if you'd like to sub for pesto:
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp walnuts, 2 tbsp parmesan, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil.
- To make the pesto, place the basil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese in the food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste, and blend. While the food processor is on, pour the olive oil slowly into the mixture in order to allow the olive oil to emulsify.
Mozzarella “pearls” are widely available at most grocery stores these days. If you have a hard time finding them, you can substitute with a standard mozzarella ball cut up into smaller chunks. Don’t substitute with shredded mozzarella because it won’t have the same effect.
This pasta salad does not need to be chilled before serving, but chilling it doesn’t hurt.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can make this salad up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just add the fresh basil leaves immediately before serving for best taste.