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Easy Caprese Pasta Salad

Easy caprese pasta salad with farfalle or penne, halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and torn basil tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. A quick pasta salad that chills for 30 minutes so every bite tastes bright, creamy, and fresh.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Farfalle or penne pasta
  • 1 lb farfalle or penne pasta Dry pasta
Vegetables and cheese
  • 2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Use cherry tomatoes and halve them
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella balls, halved Fresh mozzarella balls, halved
  • 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves, torn Torn basil leaves
Dressing and seasoning
  • 0.33 cup balsamic vinaigrette Balsamic vinaigrette for tossing
  • salt and pepper to taste Season to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook farfalle or penne pasta according to package directions until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta quickly.
Build the salad
  1. Combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and torn basil in a large bowl. Toss gently just until evenly mixed and the ingredients are distributed.
Dress and season
  1. Pour balsamic vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss again so the seasoning is evenly spread.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors meld. Keep it covered in the fridge.
  2. Toss again right before serving and serve chilled. The pasta should feel firm-tender and the mozzarella should stay creamy.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well with cold water so it won’t clump and the salad stays bright instead of gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; it can be frozen no—fresh mozzarella and tomatoes won’t hold texture after thawing. For a dairy-light option, use part-skim or low-moisture fresh mozzarella (or a caprese-style vegan mozzarella) and keep the rest the same.