Caprese Pasta Salad

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American / Italian

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

This pasta salad has all the wonderful qualities of that amazingly delicious Italian masterpiece: The Caprese Salad. Fresh and vibrant, this pasta salad is always a hit when served to guests. And it can easily be made up to a day in advance.

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Ingredients

FOR THE MARINADE

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

FOR THE SALAD

16 oz farfalle pasta cooked and cooled
½ cup pine nuts toasted, divided
3 tablespoon capers drained
3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
12 oz mozzarella fresh, cut into bite-size pieces
¾ cup basil fresh, chopped
¼ cup chives chopped
¼ cup parsley fresh, chopped

Instructions

In a small bowl, make the marinade by whisking together the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Place all of the salad ingredients (reserving 1 or 2 tablespoon of the pine nuts) in a large bowl. Pour the marinade into the bowl and use two large spoons to gently mix the salad together.
Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the reserved toasted pine nuts on top. Serve at once, or cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Video

Notes

We love using small cherry tomatoes that we cut in half for this salad, but fresh, large tomatoes are great, too. Simply core them and then cut them into bite-size pieces.

Keep an eye on the pine nuts when you are toasting them! They turn a slightly darker brown color very quickly. We toast them on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350°F for only 1 to 2 minutes.

After the pasta has cooked, drain it and then place it in a colander, and run cool tap water over it until it is no longer warm.

We have served this pasta salad with hot pasta, which is a nice variation, too. The cheese melts a little, but it's wonderful served warm or at room temperature.

If making the salad a day or two in advance, we recommend setting it out on the counter for about an hour before serving. You can add a little oil, or tap water, to the salad if it's a little dry. Give it a good mixing before serving.

The pasta salad will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. We don't recommend freezing pasta salad.

Nutrition