Happy 4th of July, lovely readers! In case you're still scrambling to cook enough for today, and you're looking for a simple, fresh side dish for your barbecue... look no further. I've got you covered with this scrumptious Caprese Pasta Salad! This takes just minutes to throw together and it's a total crowd-pleaser. Let's get cookin!
My mom makes this kind of pasta every year as soon as it gets warm, except she adds in olives, too, and calls it Pasta Fresca. While that pasta salad is definitely delicious, I decided to take inspiration from the classic Caprese combination of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil for this dish. This is so easy and so tasty, and it will without a doubt become your go-to quick summer meal.
First, cook your pasta. While it's cooking, slice your baby tomatoes in half, cube your mozzarella, and cut your fresh basil into ribbons. Toss the toppings together with plenty of olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and italian spices. Once the pasta is ready, drain the water and drizzle some olive oil on top, tossing to coat. Let it come to room temperature, then add in your cheese and tomatoes, mix together, and you are ready to eat! What could possibly be easier than that?
Cheese and tomatoes, in my opinion, are kind of the perfect foolproof combination. Pizza? That's cheese and tomatoes on a crust. Pasta? Usually topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Fried mozzarella and marinara sauce? I don't even need to explain that. This dish is basically just the healthier, summery version of said perfect combination. You just can't go wrong!
- 1 box medium-sized pasta {I used Cellentani}
- 1 pint baby tomatoes
- 1 container fresh mozzarella cheese
- handful of fresh basil leaves
- 3-4 tablespoon olive oil {more or less as needed}
- salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning to taste
- First, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, rinse your baby tomatoes and slice them in half. Place them in a large bowl.
- Drain the fresh mozzarella, slice into small cubes, and add to the large bowl with the tomatoes.
- Finally, using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the basil leaves into small ribbons, adding them into the bowl.
- Toss the toppings together with about 3 tablespoon of the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the water, and add in the remaining tablespoon of oil. Allow the pasta to come to room temperature.
- When ready, add the pasta into the bowl with the tomatoes and cheese, and toss everything together. Add more oil and/or spices if needed.
- Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes for a fresher dish. Store leftovers in the fridge.
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