Fresh Caprese Salad Pasta (Print)

A fresh Italian pasta dish with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil, and olive oil. Light, vibrant, and ready in 22 minutes.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Salad

03 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 7 oz mozzarella pearls, drained
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Salt to taste

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to cool, then set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes, drained mozzarella pearls, and torn or chopped basil leaves.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
04 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if desired and toss gently.
05 - Serve immediately garnished with additional fresh basil, or chill for 20 to 30 minutes for a cold pasta salad.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most delivery apps and tastes infinitely better, especially when tomatoes are at their peak.
  • You can serve it warm right away or cold from the fridge the next day, and somehow it improves overnight as the flavors marry.
  • There's no heavy sauce to mask anything, just pure ingredients doing their best work with hardly any effort from you.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta briefly under cold water after draining or the residual heat will turn your mozzarella into a melted puddle instead of creamy little bites.
  • Don't skip salting the pasta water generously, it's your only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out.
  • Add the basil just before serving if you're making this ahead, or it will darken and lose its vibrant color in the fridge.
03 -
  • Reserve a splash of pasta cooking water before draining, it's starchy and salty and can help loosen the dish if it tightens up in the fridge.
  • Use the ripest, sweetest cherry tomatoes you can find, their flavor is the backbone of this dish and there's nowhere to hide mediocre produce.
  • Tear the basil instead of cutting it with a knife to prevent bruising and oxidation, which keeps the leaves bright green and fragrant longer.
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