Caprese Salad Pasta (Printable)

Fresh and vibrant pasta with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and fragrant basil tossed in olive oil.

# What You Need:

→ 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 (bocconcini), drained
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, optional
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Salt to taste

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like summer in a bowl.
  • You can serve it warm right away or cold the next day, and somehow it gets even better overnight.
  • There's no heavy sauce to weigh you down, just bright flavors that let every ingredient shine.
  • It looks impressive enough for company but requires almost no actual cooking skill.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the pasta, warm pasta will turn your mozzarella into a melted blob instead of keeping those distinct creamy pearls.
  • If your tomatoes aren't perfectly ripe, let the finished pasta sit for 15 minutes so the salt can pull out more of their natural sweetness.
  • Toss gently or the mozzarella pearls will break apart and you'll lose that nice texture contrast.
03 -
  • Buy the best tomatoes and olive oil you can afford, since they're doing most of the flavor work here.
  • If you want a creamier texture, toss in a spoonful of the starchy pasta water before adding the olive oil.
  • Use a mix of red and yellow cherry tomatoes for a prettier presentation that tastes exactly the same.
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