Fresh Caprese Salad Pasta (Printable)

Fresh Italian pasta with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil, and olive oil. Light, vibrant, and ready in just 22 minutes.

# 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 fresh mozzarella pearls, drained
05 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze, optional
08 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
09 - Salt to taste

# Directions:

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most takeout orders and tastes infinitely better.
  • The mozzarella gets just slightly melty against the warm pasta without turning into a gummy mess.
  • You can serve it hot, cold, or somewhere in between and it works every single time.
  • It feels fancy enough for company but requires almost no actual cooking skill.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is essential here because hot pasta will melt the mozzarella into a gluey mess instead of leaving it in perfect creamy pearls.
  • Don't add the basil until the very end or it will wilt and turn dark, losing all that bright green color and fresh flavor.
  • If your tomatoes aren't in season, roast them for ten minutes with a little olive oil to concentrate their sweetness and bring out more flavor.
03 -
  • Use the best tomatoes you can find because they're the star here, and bad tomatoes will make the whole dish taste flat and sad.
  • Toss everything in a bowl slightly larger than you think you need so you can mix without sending mozzarella pearls flying across the counter.
  • If you want a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the black pepper for a subtle kick that doesn't overpower the freshness.
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