My husband unexpectedly walked in the door for lunch yesterday (it was his usual You Pick Two day at Panera so naturally I wasn’t expecting him) and found me shoveling Caprese Pasta Salad in my face straight from the serving bowl. “Serving size one?” he asked. “If I try hard and believe in myself.” I replied. Just kidding. I wish I was that smooth but the reality is that this pasta salad is so unbelievably tasty that there’s simply no time to waste dishing it out into bowls like a civilized human being before devouring!
I have many spins on the classic Caprese Salad recipe here on IGE but, just like a bottle of wine, there’s always room for one more, right? Caprese Pasta Salad might be my very favorite one yet. Cooked pasta is mixed with mini mozzarella cheese balls, tons of fresh basil, sweet cherry tomatoes, baby arugula, and a luscious homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette to tie everything together. The secret’s in the homemade balsamic vinaigrette – it really makes this pasta salad special. This pasta salad is a great side dish for dinner any night of the week, and makes for a terrific take along for a party, picnic, or potluck. The ingredients hold up well to sitting at room temperature for at least an hour, though I guarantee it won’t last that long. One word of advice: if you’re using gluten free pasta, like I did, this pasta salad is best eaten the day it’s assembled as GF pasta tends to get hard and mealy when refrigerated for an extended period of time.
How to Make This Recipe
Start by cooking 8oz (1/2lb) gluten free pasta in heavily salted boiling water until its al dente. You can use any cut you like – I used penne but rotini would be fab too. Drain the pasta then rinse under cold water until it’s completely cool. In my experience, brown rice pasta like this Delallo variety, or Jovial brown rice pasta, hold up much better to refrigerating then a corn/rice blend gluten free pasta.
Meanwhile combine 1 pint cherry tomatoes that have been sliced in half, 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves that have been chopped, 8oz mini mozzarella cheese balls (sometimes called “pearls”) and 1 cup packed baby arugula in a large bowl.
Add the rinsed pasta to the bowl then drizzle on the luscious homemade balsamic vinaigrette that ties the whole thing together. It’s crazy how much I love each individual ingredient in this pasta salad, but the vinaigrette really steals the show and is so simple. Just extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, fresh garlic, salt, and pepper shaken up in a jar. YUM!
Season the pasta salad with salt and pepper then toss to combine and serve immediately. If your dinner/picnic/potluck isn’t for another couple of hours, stash the bowl in the fridge then toss with more dressing just before serving!
More Summery Side Dish Recipes
The Best Pasta Salad Gluten Free Potato Salad Peach Caprese Salad Sesame Noodle Salad Napa Sweet Corn Salad Mediterranean Orzo Salad Cucumber and Tomato Salad Marinated Vegetable Salad
Like this recipe? Share it with friends!
