This caprese pasta salad is light and easy, with burst tomatoes, roasted garlic, fresh basil and creamy mozzarella. It’s always a crowd-pleaser, whether you make it for a summer potluck, backyard BBQ or weeknight meal!
Normally caprese salad is made with fresh tomatoes, but in this pasta salad version, I decided to roast the tomatoes briefly so they burst ever-so-slightly. The roasting process really draws out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and takes this pasta salad over the top! The taste of the roasted tomatoes and roasted garlic in this dish will make your mouth water. That, combined with the freshness of the basil and creamy mozzarella, makes it absolutely dreamy!
Why This Caprese Pasta Salad Is a Summer Classic
I guarantee this recipe will be a hit all summer long. It’s the perfect quick weeknight dinner for the family or an easy side dish to whip up for your next BBQ.
- Fresh and flavorful. Basil, mozzarella, and tomatoes are always a winning combination, and adding pasta makes it extra satisfying.
- Delicious warm or cold. When I’m making this for a weeknight, I serve it right away while the tomatoes are still warm, but for parties, I prep it in advance and pop it in the fridge for when our guests arrive.
- Perfect for meal prep. As the pasta salad sits, the juices from the tomatoes mix with the dressing and soak into the pasta, making it taste even better!
What You’ll Need
This pasta salad is made with fresh, simple ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Garlic cloves – Roasting the garlic makes it caramelized and mellow, with a buttery texture.
- Cherry tomatoes – Grape tomatoes also work.
- Olive oil – You’ll use some for roasting and some for making a vinaigrette.
- White balsamic vinegar – Brightens the pasta salad without turning it brown like regular balsamic vinegar would.
- Salt and pepper – You’ll need salt for seasoning and for cooking the pasta.
- Fresh basil – Adds that signature caprese freshness.
- Mozzarella pearls – If you can’t find pearls, you can dice a large ball of fresh mozzarella.
- Rigate pasta – Penne, rotini, or another small pasta shape will also work.
How to Make Caprese Pasta Salad
This recipe comes together in just a few easy steps. Let’s get started!
- Roast the tomatoes and garlic. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake. Roast for 10–15 minutes, until the tomatoes are blistered and soft. Peel the garlic and mince it.
- Prep the basil. Stack the basil leaves, roll them tightly, and thinly slice into ribbons.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining, save 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, roasted tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella pearls, remaining olive oil, reserved pasta water, white balsamic vinegar, and salt.
- Toss together. Mix until everything is evenly coated and combined. Enjoy warm or chill for a cold pasta salad.
Tips for Success
These simple tips will help you get the best flavor and texture out of your caprese pasta salad.
- Salt your pasta water well. It’s your first chance to season the pasta. The old Italian saying is that the water should be salty as the sea!
- Use fresh mozzarella pearls. They’re creamier and softer than a block of mozzarella and they’re what give this salad true caprese vibes.
- Save the pasta water. The starch and salt in the water help bring the salad together; regular water won’t do the same!
Serving Suggestions
This caprese pasta salad pairs perfectly with all kinds of summery meals:
- Serve alongside a grilled chicken sandwich or grilled beef kabobs.
- Bring it to BBQs, potlucks, or picnics with other simple salads like ramen noodle salad.
- Pair with crusty bread and a green salad for a light dinner.
Storage
Store this caprese salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If the pasta absorbs some of the dressing while chilling, drizzle with a little more olive oil before serving to freshen it up. You can also add fresh basil too if the original basil starts to wilt.
More Caprese Recipes
Caprese Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Category: Pasta, Side dishes, Vegetarian, 30 Minute Meal
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This caprese pasta salad is light and easy, with burst tomatoes, roasted garlic, fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella. Always a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed (leave peel on when roasting), minced after roasted
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper
- 6 oz. fresh basil, sliced into ribbons
- 8 oz. fresh perline mozzarella balls (perline are the small balls that come in a container of water)
- 1 lb. rigate pasta (penne or rotini would work as well)
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Smash garlic and leave peel on.
- Place cherry tomatoes and smashed garlic on baking sheet and season with 1 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place tomatoes and garlic in oven for 10-15 minutes, once finished peel garlic and mince. Set tomatoes and minced garlic aside.
- Cut basil into ribbons. (pile basil leaves on top of each other, roll them up, and thinly slice.)
- In the meantime, bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, place pasta in water.
- Cook until al dente. (8-10 minutes depending on the type of pasta)
- Once pasta is done, take out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the rest of the liquid.
- Place pasta, basil, mozzarella, minced roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, reserved cooking liquid, white balsamic vinegar and salt in a large bowl.
- Mix all ingredients together until completely combined.
- Serve. (you can serve immediately or as a cold pasta salad)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 237 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
18 comments on “Caprese Pasta Salad”
I loved it! Such an amazing pasta salad recipe!
You can never go wrong with this salad!
Pasta is a favorite in our house! I should try this recipe!
I hope you gave this recipe a try!!
So glad I saw this recipe! This will be perfect for my daughter’s graduation party this weekend; looks delish!
The perfect dish for any get-together! I hope everyone enjoyed it!
This looks like a splendid side dish, or even a great meal on its own! Excited to give this a try for dinner tonight; I was in need of an idea!
It is so tasty! I hope you enjoyed it!
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house! This looks totally awesome!
It is totally awesome and delish! I hope it was a big hit!
This looks amazingly healthy. Will definitely try it this weekend. Keep sharing such recipes.
Thank you! This recipe is a winner for sure! Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I’m looking for the calorie count on this if possible and also how much is one portion? My boyfriend and I are really making sure we are filling up healthy, but with as much flavor as possible.
Hey Toni,
So excited for you and your boyfriend! 🙂 Way to be health conscious!
I just updated the calorie counts and nutritional information. There is 212 calories per serving of this and the portion size is 1-1 1/2 cups. 🙂
hope that helps! Enjoy!
This was delicious (although I couldn’t get any fresh basil….I’m sad), but the cheese clumped. How do I get around that?
Awesome Darcy so glad you like it, its even better with the fresh basil! One way around the cheese clumping is to let the noodles cool to past warm so that they don’t heat up the mozzarella and start to melt which in turn causes it to clump. Hope that helps!
Oh my gosh…this looks delicious!!! I am pinning this and I cannot wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing:)
Absolutely, gotta share the love.. or in this case the food. 🙂 Hope you enjoy! Thanking for pinning!