Caprese Pasta Salad (Printable)

Tomato, mozzarella, and basil pasta tossed with balsamic glaze for a refreshing Italian-inspired dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)
02 - Salt, for pasta water

→ Salad

03 - 9 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), drained and halved
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Dressing

08 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
09 - 1 small garlic clove, finely minced (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta quickly.
02 - Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and torn basil leaves. Toss gently to distribute evenly.
03 - Drizzle the olive oil and minced garlic (if using) over the salad. Toss gently to coat all ingredients. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
04 - Just before serving, drizzle the balsamic glaze over the top of the salad. Garnish with additional basil leaves if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes pasta to cook, which means almost zero patience is required.
  • The balsamic glaze makes it taste like you put in far more effort than you actually did.
  • It travels beautifully to picnics, potlucks, and sad desk lunches that need rescuing.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta is essential here even though it is a cardinal sin in hot pasta dishes because you want to wash off the starch so the salad does not turn gummy.
  • Add the balsamic glaze at the very last minute because if it sits too long it pools at the bottom and makes the bottom half too sweet.
03 -
  • Warm the mozzarella in your hands for thirty seconds before halving, it cuts cleanly and the texture becomes silky.
  • If your tomatoes are less than perfect, halve them and toss with a tiny pinch of salt ten minutes before assembling to wake up their flavor.

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