Caprese Pasta Salad

Looking for a crisp, refreshing yet wholesome pasta salad? This is it! Caprese Pasta Salad uses only 5 ingredients–pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and salad dressing. Easy to prepare and perfect throughout the week for mouthwatering lunches and dinners.

My all-time favorite appetizer/snack are caprese skewers. I love the simplicity of tomato and cheese but with the punch of refreshing zing from the basil. My kids also have taken to the flavor so I knew it was time to turn our favorite snack into a wholesome dish.

What better to pair with it with than pasta?!

What is Caprese?

Before we get to the recipe, you may be wondering what Caprese is or even how to pronounce it 😉

Caprese (pronounced ka-pre-ze) is a salad originating from South Italy (the Island of Capri!) and consists of tomato, basil, mozzarella, salt and pepper and drizzled with olive oil.

I can definitely picture the beautiful scenery when biting into this exhilarant combination. And fun fact– the colors (red, green, and white) represent the Italian flag!

Caprese Pasta Salad

This recipe is one you’ll be craving all summer long. And for good reasons!

I’m adding whole wheat pasta, swapping the traditional olive oil for tangy Italian salad dressing and mixing up a huge bowl that you can devour all week long. Truly the best!

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat Pasta
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Mozzarella Pearls
• Basil
• Italian Salad Dressing
• Salt and Pepper, to taste (optional)

Substitution Ideas

This dish has lots of flexibility– here’s some ideas:

• Pasta — Use your favorite kind!
  • It’s important to note that whole wheat noodles tend to be a bit stickier due to having less gluten and being coarser in nature. If this bothers you, use regular rotini, penne or alike!
• Tomatoes— dice up regular tomato in place of cherry tomatoes. You could also add more color with a yellow tomato.
• Mozzarella pearls— Can’t find pearls? Use a whole mozzarella ball and slice into small piece. Better yet, cut up several mozzarella cheese sticks into small pieces. Works great and may be a bit less expensive!
• Basil— totally worth splurging on fresh basil or asking your neighbor for some from her garden. But you could probably sprinkle in dry basil from your spice cabinet too.
• Salad dressing— I love the ease and flavor of Italian but you could use a balsamic vinaigrette, or your favorite store bought or homemade!

How to make

Once you boil the pasta as directed on box (and add maybe a touch of olive oil to keep noodles from sticking), there’s only three easy steps:

Chop

Cut tomatoes in half and chop up basil. Open pack of mozzarella pearls. Set ingredients aside.

Add and Pour

Once the pasta is cooled, add all ingredients into bowl. Pour on dressing.

Stir and serve

Slowly stir and toss ingredients together until evenly combined.

Tips/Tricks

• Make full box of 16 oz of pasta and reserve extra to add in (great for kids) or have on hand for the week ahead
• Once boiled and drained, add a drizzle of olive oil to noodles to prevent sticking while cooling
• Add more dressing if prefer, or add a little more during the week to “refresh”
• You can use more or less of any ingredient in this recipe
• Can drizzle with balsamic for added flavor

How to serve and store

Once prepared, you can serve immediately, although I like to chill in refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.

Store leftovers in airtight container and serve as needed throughout week.

This is fantastic alone or pairs well with your grilled proteins. Want a complete meal in a bowl? Add in my Easy Shredded Chicken— ideal for lunches!!

I also like to toss in additional vegetables (celery, pepper, spinach, etc. to add variation and increase my veggie intake throughout the week!)

Is this Healthy?

Literally every ingredient in here offers important nutrition:

• Whole Wheat Pasta- high fiber, improves digestive and metabolic rate
• Tomatoes– antioxidant and vitamin important for preventing cancer and cardiovascular disease
• Basil leaves– antioxidants, vitamins, minerals (magnesium!) and said to be an “anti-stressor” since it can regulate increased tension (whoa, mama! We need more of this!!)
• Mozzarella– rich in calcium and protein

All that drizzled in a lite dressing that satisfies craving and actually healthy enough for snacking too!

Looking for something similar?

For another colorful, easy side dish, please check out:

• Canned Pineapple Salsa

Looking for a chicken caprese pasta salad? Add shredded chicken! Check out:

• Easy Shredded Chicken

Full Hands & Heart

Do you love Caprese salad too? I’d love to know if you try this pasta salad! Please leave comment/rating below. And share recipe with friend– be sure to tag me @briefandbalanced on Instagram so I can see your creations. Thank you!