Caprese Pasta Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad is a delicious Rigatoni pasta salad loaded with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and a delicious sauce that is simply a seasoned olive oil.
This decadent caprese pasta salad is one for the books! Impress your guests with this amazingly delicious salad that looks and tastes like a million bucks!
The mixture of pastas, fresh tomatoes, soft mozzarella cheese is a total party in your mouth.
Pasta in a salad is an ultimate favorite of mine! Try these pasta salad dishes that are similar to this Caprese Pasta Salad: Italian Pasta Salad, Rainbow Macaroni Salad, Easy Greek Pasta Salad or Asparagus Ravioli pasta Salad (Hot or Cold).
How do you make caprese pasta salad?
- Mix Seasoned Olive Oil ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain
- Toss pasta with olive oil mixture. Set aside to let cool.
- Chop heirloom tomatoes into bite sized chunks.
- Chiffon fresh basil.
- Add and stir together When pasta is cool, add mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil to the pasta, and stir together.
- Serve immediately!
Caprese Pasta Salad Ingredients
This delicious salad is made up of just 4 simple ingredients and of course some delicious seasoned olive oil.
- Rigatoni
- Diced heirloom tomatoes
- Mozzarella balls
- Basil
The olive oil makes a huge difference. It is seasoned with herbs and spices. And when it coats the rigatoni, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, it is amazing.
The rigatoni can catch just enough of it on its ridges to add flavor, while still keeping it light and fresh,.
Cook your rigatoni to an al dente, then toss all of the ingredients together. Easy as can be.
Choose your heirloom tomatoes with your nose, smelling them to make sure they are ripe and delicious.
Fresh basil is a must for this recipe, and a tasty and soft mozzarella makes a huge difference. The fresher it is, the softer it is!
What are heirloom tomatoes?
The beautiful colors of heirloom tomatoes make eating this salad even more inviting!
An heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated heirloom cultivar of tomato. Basically they aren’t cross bred like other tomatoes.
Heirloom tomatoes can be classified into four categories: family heirlooms, commercial heirlooms, mystery heirlooms, and created heirlooms.
They typically have a firmer flesh, and thicker skin, which makes them perfect for this salad, as they add some texture and gorgeous color to this dish.
They are delicious and sweet, but have a short shelf life, so you want to get them and use them quickly. Trust me, when you get this salad on the table it won’t last long and you will want to make it again and again.
Can Caprese Pasta Salad be made ahead?
Yes! But not too far ahead.
I love the idea to have made ahead salads for on the go moms! This is a great for meal planning for a day or two.
But keep in mind that while the heirloom tomatoes are firmer than regular, they will still get watery as they sit. This can make this salad soggy.
Truthfully, my suggestion is to make this salad the day you plan to consume it. And no more than 2-3 days ahead.
Variations and Tips for Caprese Pasta Salad
- Salad dressing: Italian dressing or balsamic would work well if you are in a pinch and don’t have time for the homemade seasoned olive oil.
- Add peppers or cucumbers for more crunchy texture and flavor.
- Meat: pepperoni, chicken or ham cubes are an added protein that go well with these flavors.
Fall in love with these salads from my site
- Greek Chicken Orzo Salad
- Peach Burrata Salad
- Chicken Avocado Caesar salad (Low-Carb Keto)
- Honey Dijon Chicken Cobb Salad
- Tomato Burrata Salad
- Greek Cucumber Salad
- Greek Chicken Chopped Salad
Caprese Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Rigatoni cooked according to package directions
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups diced heirloom tomatoes
- 1 cup mozzarella balls fresh mozzarella, bite sized
- 1/4 cup basil chiffoned
Seasoned Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix Seasoned Olive Oil ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain
- Toss pasta with olive oil mixture. Set aside to let cool.
- Chop heirloom tomatoes into bite sized chunks.
- Chiffon fresh basil.
- When pasta is cool, add mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and basil to the pasta, and stir together.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!
Stephanie says
Chelsea says
Sara Welch says
Melissa says
Becky Hardin says
Lauren Kelly says
Toni says