Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad +VIDEO
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad +VIDEO
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad is a light, full-flavored dish that’s perfect for potlucks, parties, barbecues and gatherings!
Marinate your favorite steak or chicken, heat up the grill, and enjoy with this delicious Italian Pesto Pasta Salad. Finish it off with a decadent dessert that’s pretty party!
Favorite Pasta Salad
We love all summer related recipes and one of them is pasta salad! ! We find ourselves making pasta salad at least once a week with all the pool parties, barbecues and family gatherings going on.
We’ve relied on our classic pasta salad recipe for years, but recently we’ve expanded and tried new recipes. Some of our favorites include this Greek Pasta Salad and this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad.
We also have a new favorite – this Pesto Pasta Salad! We’ve always loved the Caprese flavor of tomato, basil, mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette, but when you add pesto to the mix, you’ve got one of the tastiest pasta salads you’ll ever try !
How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad
spaghetti. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and cook the rotini according to the directions on the box. Drain pasta and set aside.
Sauce. In a large bowl, combine pesto, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper.
combine. Add the cooked rotini and toss to combine. Add half the tomatoes, mozzarella balls and fresh basil. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
Decor + service. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette before serving. Please enjoy!
If you don’t like balsamic vinegar, you can definitely skip it! It adds a nice flavor, but the pesto and other seasonings make it delicious on their own. Deliciousness isn’t the only requirement for this pasta — it comes together quickly, and honestly, the hardest part is cooking the pasta. Next time you’re in charge of a salad for a neighbor’s potluck, try this Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad!
Tips, Changes + Stored Information
Basil: We have a great recipe for homemade basil pesto that you can use in salads. You can also buy your favorite pesto at the grocery store.
spaghetti: Penne, rigatoni, fusilli or bow tie pasta all work well in this dish. No matter what type of pasta you use, it’s best cooked al dente.
tomato: Grape or cherry tomatoes are best for this recipe. You can leave them whole or cut them in half.
cheese: It’s a bit pricey, but use fresh mozzarella instead of the kind that comes in a block of cheese. Mozzarella balls are the easiest to open and toss into salads, but you can also shred a piece of fresh mozzarella.
Variety:
- Add more pesto to make it a more prominent part of the recipe
- Use whole wheat pasta to make it healthier!
- add roast chicken
- Gluten Free Pasta Works Well
in advance: Make this salad 2-3 hours before you plan to serve it. Longer than that, I recommend preparing the different ingredients and storing them separately until they’re all mixed together.
shop Leftovers refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Pasta may absorb some liquid, so just add more pesto and a little balsamic vinegar.
For more delicious pasta salad recipes, check out the following:
course salad
Italian
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 88 kcal
by Lil’ Luna
- 12 ounces uncooked rotini pasta
- 4 tablespoons pesto
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more if needed)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella balls
- 2 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- drizzle balsamic vinegar to reduce
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Bring water to a boil in a large pot and cook the rotini according to the directions on the box.
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Drain pasta and set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine pesto, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Add the cooked rotini and toss to combine. Add half of the tomatoes, mozzarella balls and fresh basil. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette before serving. Please enjoy!