Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
In this caprese pasta salad, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil are tossed in a homemade balsamic dressing for a delicious & hearty summertime salad!
Servings: 24 Servings
Cost: $10
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta
- 5 quarts salted water
- ¼ cup green onions sliced thin (about 4 onions)
- 24 ounces baby tomatoes halved
- ½ cup Fresh basil chopped (measured before chopping – whole leaves )
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls, or a log diced into small pieces.
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 avocado diced (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Topping
- ¼ cup basil julienned
- 1-2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions.
- When pasta is finished cooking, drain but do not rinse.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients
- Put cooked pasta in a large bowl, add half the dressing and stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator until it cools down to at least room temperature.
- Once the pasta has cooled, add green onion, tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, mozzarella and the remaining dressing and stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Chill for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, top with parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.
- Serve cold.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitution Notes
- Pasta. I love fusilli pasta, but any shape or variety works well. My top recommendations are fusilli, penne, farfalle (bowties), gemelli, and rotelle (wheels).
- Green Onion. red, white or yellow onions (finely diced) can be used in place of green.
- Baby Tomatoes. substitute your favorite tomato variety including heirloom, Roma, etc.
- Mozzarella cheese. use fresh mozzarella for the best results.
- Olive oil. Avocado oil is a great substitute if you don't have olive oil.
- Dijon Mustard. Any mustard variety can be used in place of Dijon.
- Balsamic vinegar. use a high-quality balsamic vinegar. It should be thick and naturally sweet and our like molasses (not watery).
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 381IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg