Caprese Salad Pasta (Printable)

Fresh Italian pasta tossed with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil, and olive oil. Light, vibrant, and ready in under 25 minutes.

# What You'll 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

# How to Make It:

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 Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes and tastes like you spent all afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The creamy mozzarella melts just slightly into the warm pasta, creating little pockets of richness.
  • You can serve it warm right away or let it chill into a cold pasta salad that actually gets better as it sits.
  • It uses ingredients you can grab without a special trip, but still feels special enough for company.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is essential here, it stops the cooking and keeps the pasta from turning mushy or clumping together.
  • If you add the mozzarella while the pasta is too hot, it will melt completely and turn stringy instead of staying creamy and tender.
  • Don't skip salting the pasta water generously, it's your only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside out.
03 -
  • Tear the basil by hand instead of chopping it with a knife, it bruises less and releases more flavor.
  • If your tomatoes aren't very sweet, add a tiny pinch of sugar to the bowl before tossing to balance the acidity.
  • Let the pasta cool completely before adding the mozzarella, patience here keeps the cheese tender and creamy instead of melted.
  • Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining, you can add it back if the dish feels dry after tossing.
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